Desert Storm
by MissCountrySweet
Summary: It's been six years since Sam left her Nevada home and moved to Montana, where she spent four years in college and two at an internship at a wildlife refuge. Now she's back, and has no idea what's in store. Will Jake welcome her with open arms?
1. Chapter 1: The Return to Nevada

**Hi! So I'm excited. This is my first time attempting a Phantom Stallion story - I've had the old series on my shelf for years and just a couple days ago I picked one of the books up and decided to re-read it. Thus, inspiring me to write this fanfic. I'm not exactly sure where it's headed, but I have a pretty good idea for the plot. Hope this first chapter gets you interested and wanting to read more. This is more of a prologue than a chapter, so it's a bit short. Hope you enjoy it and, if your heart so desires, leave a review once it's all read.**

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_Chapter One _

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it."

**- Danny Kaye**

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Sam took in a long, deep breath of fresh mountain air. Her deep brown eyes swept proudly over the gorgeous Nevada landscape, taking in the dry, flat desert and the outline of broad mountains that towered high in the distance. The first word that came to her mind as she surveyed the familiar terrain was one that brought a warm smile to her lips.

_Home._

Six years.

It's been six years since she had last stepped foot on Nevada ground. Six long years in which she had escaped to Montana and fulfilled her four year college experience. Four years hadn't been enough though, and she hadn't been ready to come back. So instead, she had decided to stay two more years and become an intern at a wildlife refuge, spending her days helping abused and debilitated animals. It had been a wonderful and truly rewarding experience, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to get her to stay. Six years of being away from her family and her horses was long enough.

At the thought of her horses, Sam's thoughts began to drift to her stallion. Sam had never stopped thinking about the Phantom – even when she had been a thousand miles away in a totally different state, her beloved Blackie had never strayed too far from her mind. She had always kept the precious stallion near and dear to her heart, but even that couldn't keep her from missing him terribly. She couldn't help wondering if he was still strong and healthy, still a dominant leader of his herd. Just like her he had gotten older, and it worried her that a younger stallion might have challenged him and taken his place within the ranks. What if he was alone out there somewhere, wandering aimlessly across the desert plains? Sam shuddered inwardly at that thought and forced herself to think positive. Her Phantom had always been a strong one and she had no doubt that he was still leading his herd, wild and free out on the open range. If only there was some way…

Sam quickly shook away the ridiculous idea that had begun to form inside her head. No, there was no way she could just hop on a horse and ride around trying to find him and the herd. It's been six years, who is to say they were still hanging around the same place? And besides, she doubted he would still remember her, after all this time. He probably thought she had abandoned him, and in a way she had done exactly that. Six years ago she had abandoned not only her precious stallion, but her family, her friends. _Jake._

Grimacing at the thought of her ex-best friend and, yes, _lover, _Sam glanced down at her worn out cowboy boots that miraculously still fit her after all these years, and let a sigh. Jake had been furious at her for her decision to leave, but more than that, he had been heartbroken. He had just confessed his love to her, the night of her graduation, which was also the same night she had lost her virginity. He had been the one to do it, of course. All along Sam had known that he would be the one. She had adored him ever since they had first met – it hadn't mattered that he had been a couple years older than her, or that the first words that had came out of his mouth was 'Hey brat', thereby branding her with that ridiculous nickname. She had always acted like she hated it, but deep down, she had adored it almost as much as she had adored the one who had called her it.

The night that she had told Jake she was leaving had been one of the worst in all her life. If it wasn't the first, it certainly made the top five. She would never forget the look on Jake's face when she told him she didn't have plans to attend the community college that was located about thirty miles from town, but a four year university in Montana. Hurt, anger, and more than that, _betrayal, _had seared straight through her soul when she had risked a glance into his eyes, and that was the first time she had felt her heart break. _Truly _break.

She had never meant to betray Jake. But staying in Nevada wouldn't have made her happy – she would have had Jake, yes, and her horses, but she had been hungry for more. She wanted to see more than just the flat desert landscape she had known mostly all her life. Montana had given her that, and much, much more. It had given her experience, and with it a spurt of happiness. If only Jake had understood her need for that, then maybe they never would have broken up. Maybe they would have remained best friends, even when living a thousand miles apart.

She had broken his heart. She knew that without a doubt, and in return her own heart broke at the realization. She hadn't spoken to him let alone written to him in six whole years, how would he react when she showed her face at the ranch? Was he even working for her father still, after all this time? Sam doubted it. He probably managed his own ranch now, or even moved away somewhere else, most likely far away to avoid seeing the likes of her ever again.

After a moment she rolled her eyes at herself. _Don't be so melodramatic, _she thought. Now that she was beginning to think rationally, she knew that Jake would never leave this place. Nevada was his home. Letting out another sigh, Sam turned back towards her old dusted-down truck. No matter how much she wished to just stare at the beautiful setting and watch the fading Nevada sun sink well beneath the clouds, she couldn't avoid the inevitable.

It was time to head home.

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**I have cookies for anyone who reviews! =D**


	2. Chapter 2: The Heart That Never Left

**I couldn't help myself, I wrote the second chapter after watching the most awesome movie ever, Letters to Juliet. And wow, I got five reviews already! You guys definitely rock for encouraging me to write this story. I'm so glad you guys are as excited for it as I am! This chapter is longer than the last, so I hope you enjoy. And don't forget to leave me some love at the end!**

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_Chapter Two_

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

**- Anonymous**

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Butterflies danced inside Sam's stomach as she drove her old pick-up down the familiar path towards River Bend Ranch. _It looks exactly the same _she thought with some surprise, pursing her lips as she drove the truck over the bridge, the amicable sound of the tires rolling against the wooden panels causing Sam's spirit to lift considerably more than before. She could hardly believe that she was here again at River Bend; her family waiting just yards away.

A loud, friendly bark made Sam gasp softly and her eyes light up. The moment she put the truck in park outside the house she flung the door open and bent down to wrap her arms lovingly around the exuberant border collie that had already ran up to meet her. She laughed as he began to lick her face off, over-joyed at seeing the old family dog again. He had always had a special place in her heart.

"Lord have mercy! Is that my Samantha? Oh, how you've grown!"

Smiling at the sound of her Gram's voice, Sam glanced up and flashed Grace Forster a wide, beaming smile. She looked exactly the same – gray hair tied up neatly in a bun, and that darned apron wrapped around her waist. Sam had sworn once that it was glued there permanently, earning a hearty laugh from the old woman. She blinked back tears from her ears and stood up to envelop her grandmother in a big, warm hug.

"Hey Gram," she murmured affectionately, stepping away just in time to see her step-mother, Brynna, bustling out the door with a huge smile already planted across her pretty face. Her long red hair was down in a French braid as usual, and she was wearing a white sundress. Holding her hand was her son, who Sam guessed was about seven or eight years old. He had inherited his mother's vibrant red hair, as well as _their _father's dark brown eyes. Sam smiled and stepped forward to greet them.

"Brynna! It's so good to see you again. And Shiloh, why, look at you! You've grown so much, and might I say that red hair of yours makes you as handsome as ever."

"Come here, you!" Brynna pulled her in for a hug and then sweetly kissed her cheek. "Oh, you've grown your hair out! I've always thought you would look great with long hair. Shiloh, hunny, don't be shy, tell your sister hello."

Shiloh glanced up at Sam, slowly blinked a pair of his long, adorable eyelashes at her, and then offered her a small, wobbly smile. "H-Hello."

"Hi there," Sam said with a warm smile, and then nearly jumped at the sound of the screen door slamming from behind Brynna.

"Where's my Samantha?" Wyatt demanded.

Sam let out a quick laugh. "Right here, Dad."

Wyatt slipped his way past his wife and son in able to draw his arms fiercely around his only daughter. Sam sighed softly in contentment as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck and drew him close. _Home, _she thought, closing her eyes and forcing herself not to cry. _I'm finally home._

Once she had finally managed to pull away from her father's stone-iron grip, she glanced back to her truck and said, "Well, I guess I should start hauling everything in."

"Nonsense," Brynna piped up, sharing a quick look with Wyatt. "Your father and the ranch hands will deal with that. I'm sure there's a certain horse that you just might want to visit."

_Ace! _Sam's smile blazed with the strength of a thousand suns. "Where is he?" she questioned eagerly, glancing anxiously towards her father.

"Out in the pasture-"

He didn't bother finishing the sentence, for his daughter was already gone in a cloud of dust. He let out a deep chuckle and dipped the tip of his Stetson hat.

"Yep, that's my girl."

"She's finally back," Brynna murmured, slipping her free hand into her husband's. He turned to look at her, his deep brown eyes meeting hers warily.

"Yeah. Question is…for how long?"

"Oh, don't worry, that girl won't be leaving anytime soon," Gram said from beside them, shaking her head lightly with an affectionate smile that made her wrinkled face glow.

Wyatt turned to look at his mother, a confused frown gracing his tanned, handsome features. "How do you reckon' that?"

"This is her home," Gram stated firmly, and with a conviction so strong it had even little Shiloh's head lifting to gaze up at her. "She may not have been here for six years, but that heart of hers? Why, it's never left."

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Sam's heart nearly burst out of her chest as she glimpsed her beloved bay mustang grazing peacefully inside the paddock. She stopped just above the hill and without any hesitation brought her fingers to her lips and let out a long, shrill whistle. Almost instantly Ace's head shot up, his ears flicking forward as he caught sight of Sam standing just outside the paddock. Letting out a loud, fierce whinny he burst forward, galloping full speed towards the gate.

Laughter bubbled up inside her as she climbed up the fence in less than three seconds and hopped over it in less than one. Ace stopped just in time in able to avoid trampling her, his big black beady eyes staring at her lovingly. Having promised herself not to cry but tearing up nonetheless, Sam flung her arms around her old friend's neck and nearly melted right then and there when she heard him nicker softly next to her ear.

"Oh Ace, I've missed you so much! I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I promise though, I won't be leaving again. I'm staying for good this time."

Ace snorted softly, and Sam grinned before pulling back and giving his head a gentle pat. "I hope you've been ridden some, I would hate to know that you've just been munching on grass all this time. The other ponies haven't been pickin' on you too much, now have they?"

Sam's gaze swept the pasture curiously when mentioning the other ponies. She let out a sharp gasp when she caught sight of a beautiful gray horse grazing at the far end of the pasture. She knew immediately who it was. Her heart leaped into her chest as she stood there, just staring.

_Tempest._

Tempest, the Phantom and Dark Sunshine's filly, was no longer the black, clumsy little thing she had left six years ago. Now, as she had so long ago predicted, Tempest was a gorgeous gray resemblance of her father. Sam's heart leaped with joy.

She was about to make her way over when a sudden voice caused her to halt immediately in her tracks.

"Don't you dare move."

Slowly she turned around to face the short and curvy blonde-haired beauty whose hair was down in two thick braids. Her glasses sparkled in the sunlight, but not nearly as much as her eyes as they met Sam's, a teasing smile spreading across her face in mere seconds.

"…before you give me that big hug you've been promisin' me for weeks."

Together they squealed, simultaneously launching into each other's arms. They stayed like that for several long, tear-filled moments until they finally decided to break apart.

"Oh Jen, look at you! You're so freaking _gorgeous. _I am insanely jealous. And is that _make-up _you're wearing? Since when do you wear make-up?"

Jen shrugged and gave her long-time best friend a small smile. "You've been gone for six years; some things are bound to have changed. And, hey, speaking of changes, look at that hair! I've never seen it so long before."

It was Sam's turn to shrug. "I thought it was time for a change. So how're things? What have I missed while I've been gone?"

"Well…" Sam tilted her head to the side as she noticed that familiar mischievous glint starting to form in her friend's eyes. And then, as Jen lifted her left hand in front of her face, a loud gasp escaped her throat when she noticed the one carat diamond worn so delicately on her ring finger.

"Oh, my God," Sam managed after one full minute of speechlessness. "You're _engaged?_"

"That I am," Jen confirmed with a proud grin.

"To _who_?"

"Quinn."

"Quinn _Ely?" _Sam sputtered in absolute shock.

"That's right. Oh Sam, he's just amazing. You do remember him, don't you? He was on the student council at Darton."

"Of course I remember him, he's Jake's brother," Sam replied, flinching slightly at the mention of Jake.

Jen seemed to notice this, because all of a sudden she was staring sympathetically at her from behind the frame of her glasses. "Have you seen him yet?"

Sam didn't need to question her friend on who _him _was, she knew exactly who she was referring to. She shook her head and then pressed her lips together to form a thin line. "No, and that's fine. I doubt he's hopping paddock fences on the way here in order to see me."

"Oh, Sam," Jen murmured, reaching out to pat her hand reassuringly. "You guys will work it out, just you wait and see."

Her heart fell. "You didn't see his face when I left," Sam whispered, mainly to herself, and turned her face away to avoid Jen seeing the unshed tears that had unexpectedly sprang up. Like it or not, she _would _eventually have to face Jake, and just the thought had her stomach twist with a feeling of nausea. If only there was some way in which she could avoid it, maybe build a time machine and skip over the times in which she and Jake would, eventually, encounter each other. But that would be worthless. She would have to deal with him and their situation sooner or later, even if it killed her.

Which, Sam thought with a bitter smile, just very well could.

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**So there you go. I probably won't get much writing done tomorrow because I'm getting ready for my sister's wedding and family beach week, but I promise to update with a new chapter as soon as possible. Oh, and the more people review and tell me their opinions the more I'll get motivated to finish! Hope you don't mind me making up a name for Brynna's baby. I don't have the latest book so I don't know if or what she named him. And plus, Shiloh is a cute name, don't you think? Also, what do you think of my non-canon pairing between Jen and Quinn? I thought they'd be kind of cute. Oh, and by the way, a certain Ely just might make his appearance in the next chapter...excited yet? Good! Review then and let me know. =)**

**~ Mystic  
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	3. Chapter 3: Cold Mustang Eyes

**So I'm at my beach house now – yay! But I have one night before everyone comes, so I'm using it to write this next chapter, just for all of those special readers who were so kind to review. You guys seriously rock! There are some answers/comments I want to give some people, which can be found below along with the name of the person who I'm responding to. And below that will be the next chapter! Thanks again for those of you who have kept with me so far. =)**

**Sophia – **_I appreciate your criticism. True, I did dump a lot of information, but that's usually what authors do during the first chapter – I should have called it the prologue, which is basically the beginning chapter of a book that introduces you to the story and the main characters so all of that info was important to give out. Thanks for catching my mistake on full-filling; I don't have a beta so I'll most likely make a typo a time or two. Personally I think the word 'debilitated' was an appropriate word to use – just because it means helpless, and abused and helpless are two different words in themselves. I understand what you're saying about the 'Nevada ground' but I happen to like it, so sorry if it sounds weird to you. As for the words 'wonderful and truly rewarding' well all I can say is Sam's experience was exactly that – so why put it in any other way? Again, thanks so much for your review, I appreciate it and hope that you keep reading! =)_

**MusicAddict101 – **_I'm slightly confused, do you mean Pepper should have proposed to someone or Jake? Oh, and thanks so much for your encouraging reviews to keep going, don't worry I promise to do exactly that!_

**Sokanon – **_Thanks so much! Weddings are amazing, and I'm sure my sister's will be too! I really appreciate you reviewing – twice! It made me smile. _

**SAKELover – **_Thank you! I do actually plan on publishing a book of mine some day. Writing is one of my greatest passions, and I'm very pleased that you've recognized it. Hope you enjoy the update!_

**Shelby – **_Thanks for contributing some of your ideas – I have actually already planned for Sam to be one of Jen's bridesmaids, so don't worry! Thanks for your reviews. =)_

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_Chapter Three_

"The wind of anger blows out the lamp of intelligence."

**- Anonymous**

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Once she had finished catching up with Jen for about two hours inside the barn, Sam waved a farewell to her old friend and watched as she hopped on top of her new palomino, Summer Breeze, and rode out. After being clued in on all the wedding plans and events that had been happening recently around town, Sam was beat. And she hadn't even started unpacking yet! Letting out a groan, Sam turned towards the house, looking forward to a long hot shower and a good night's sleep.

The moment she entered the house she stumbled over something furry lying across the floor, earning a half-startled gasp to escape her lips. Once she had managed to regain her balance, Sam glanced down and immediately her gaze softened.

"Cougar!"

Sweeping the full-grown cat in her arms, Sam almost burst into tears at the sound of his loud, steady purring right next to her ear. "I've missed you," she whispered, nuzzling her face against the nape of his neck. "How've you been, boy?" She stared deep into his beautiful golden eyes and bit back a smile. After cuddling him for a couple minutes, Sam set him back down and headed up to her bedroom. She committed thirty whole minutes to unpacking her clothes and putting them in her dresser before she gave in and took that shower she had been longing for ever since she first came home.

Once out, Sam changed into her pajamas – a pair of blue flannel pants and a matching blue spaghetti strapped shirt. She let her hair down and then glanced into the mirror, gazing studiously at her reflection. She had to admit it to herself, she didn't look like the same girl she had been six years ago. Her auburn hair was longer, yes, but that wasn't the only difference. Her face looked older, more sophisticated. She no longer had the small freckles of her youth, but possessed a tan, almost bronze complexion from years of working in the sun. She wondered suddenly what Jake would think about her changed appearance – would he even recognize her after all these years? Shaking that ridiculous thought out of her head, Sam turned off the bedroom light and then slipped into bed, finally allowing her muscles to relax after a long day of events. And it wasn't long after her eyelids had closed did she drift into a deep, peaceful slumber.

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Sam woke bright and early the next morning at precisely seven o'clock. She had stopped sleeping in a long time ago – her freshman year of college, to be exact. After taking countless of eight o'clock morning classes, she had quickly gotten use to her early morning routine. Now, it felt so natural as she crawled out of bed and slipped on the outfit that she had picked out last night – a pair of old, faded out low-rider blue jeans and a white spaghetti strapped t-shirt. She brushed through her thick, auburn hair rather quickly before putting it up in a pony-tail, some strands falling out to frame her pretty, heart-shaped face.

After slipping on her worn out cowboy boots, she glanced briefly at herself in the mirror, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned and strolled out of her bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her grandmother was already putting on a fresh pot of coffee. Her father sat at the kitchen table, reading some article of the newspaper with Cougar lying lazily by his feet.

"Good morning!" Sam greeted them cheerfully, picking up an apple from the basket on the counter and taking a quick bite. As she chewed, she swept the kitchen with her curious, scrutinizing gaze, again feeling surprised by how little the place had changed since she's been gone.

Her father seemed to sense her observation, because with a slow grin he replied, "The only thing here that's much changed is you it seems. You've cleaned up mighty well for yourself, Samantha."

Sam opened her mouth to respond, but the thoughtful look in her father's eyes caused her to hesitate and waited for him to continue.

"I'm…I'm darned proud of you, Sam. To be honest, I never thought you'd accomplish all those years of college. Now," he continued quickly, before she took his statement to offense, "that's not because I didn't think you could. I just always thought you to be the kind of woman that didn't need a college education to make something of yourself. And when I heard about that internship you took, well, it made me realize just how much you've grown. I've never felt prouder to have my own daughter takin' care of those wild animals. You're a lot like her, you know."

Sam blinked at her father in confusion. "Like who?"

Wyatt's eyes softened and a wistful, far-away look came across his broad, handsome features.

"You're mother."

Sam's breath caught. Rarely did her father ever mention her mother – she had always thought that the pain of remembering her was just too much to bear. But whenever he did mention her name, his tone was always filled with warmth and compassion for the woman that he had once loved and very likely still did. He was presently in love with Brynna, her step-mother, of course, but nobody could replace the love Wyatt had for his late wife, and the hollow ache that he still felt in his heart for her.

"I miss her," Sam blurted abruptly, and immediately felt like a fool. She had only been five when her mother had died, and barely even remembered her face. But she could still feel her presence as if it was only yesterday – her sweet, flowery perfume and her soft, gentle touch. Tears unexpectedly formed in the back of her eyes, and with a soft sniffle she quickly blinked them away.

"We all do, Sam," Her grandmother's soft, reassuring voice filled her senses and she smiled gratefully, glancing over to see Grace standing in the corner of the kitchen, her own eyes having begun to glisten. "It's only natural to feel that way. She was your mother, and she loved you very much."

"I just wish…" Sam trailed off, grimacing. It was no use to wonder about the 'what-if's', they were as useless as the tears that still stung at the back of her eyes. Shaking those thoughts free from her mind, she glanced up and forced a small smile.

"I think it's time I get a little fresh air."

"Good idea," Wyatt said with a short nod. "Take Ace out for a ride, I'm sure he'll enjoy that."

"Will do," Sam said, and after chowing down on the last of her apple she took the first step outside and filled her lungs with the crisp morning air. She gave Blaze, who was laying stretched out on the bottom of the porch steps, a quick affectionate scratch behind his ears before heading straight towards the barn.

The instant she opened the wide double doors to the barn, a strange feeling welled up inside her, setting up alarm bells in her head. Puzzled, Sam frowned for only a moment before stepping inside the barn and breathing in the tantalizing, horse-scented aroma. Like always, the familiar, homely smell brought a happy smile to her lips, and with that odd feeling gone she began humming softly to a jolly tune, very nearly skipping as she made her way towards Ace's stall.

It was when she spotted the tall, dark figure standing at the end of the barn did she halt dead in her tracks and almost fall head first onto the floor. It was _him. _She could tell just by the way he was standing, his hip slanted just slightly to the side and his arm leaning casually against one of the stalls. He had that same danged old cowboy hat on – the black Stetson that looked like it had seen better days. He wore a pair of old dusty blue jeans and a white t-shirt, adorned with a belt that was wrapped low and snug around his waist. Sam almost laughed at the irony of them both wearing the same thing, old blue jeans and a white shirt. Who would have known?

And then all trace of laughter vanished when she noticed him move, slowly yet deliberately in her direction. Her breath caught in her throat, and for one crazy second she almost gave in to the temptation to flee, but quickly reigned in her common sense and forced herself to stay put.

It was positively painful, the ten long seconds it took him to approach her until finally he stopped just barely one foot away, his dark mustang eyes traveling over her face in stone cold appraisal. Sam saw this, expected it, and in flashing him a cold smile in return, accepted it.

"Hello, Jake," Sam murmured coolly.

He stared at her hard, giving her another long, painful silence, before slowly dipping his head to her in a nod.

"Hey, Brat."

Sam almost smiled at the sound of her long-ago-given nickname, but immediately stopped herself before she could. She gazed at him silently, wondering what he was thinking right now. Was he cursing her? Criticizing her? Or was he just merely remembering all of the times she had taken away from him?

"You…you look good," Sam managed weakly, truly at a loss as to what to say.

The corner of Jake's mouth twitched and she couldn't tell by the hood of his hat, which tended to hide most of his expression, whether it was amusement that had caused it or annoyance. By the retort that followed, she quickly came to the decision that it was the latter.

"You look…different. Although, can't really say I'm surprised."

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?" she questioned, hoping he'd clarify.

Of course, him being Jake he didn't. Instead, he gave her that darned irritating grin she knew all too well, and for the briefest second she had the fiercest urge to smack it off his face.

"How's your family?" Sam asked, desperate to fill the awkward silence that she knew for certain would fill the air between them. Besides, she really was curious about them. Mrs. Ely had always been extremely nice to her; after all she _had _been one of her students back when she had attended Darton High. "I heard Jen and Quinn are planning to get hitched," she added conversationally.

He narrowed his eyes, and then gave another nod. "That's the plan," he said in a slow-like drawl.

Annoyance began to creep up at Jake's obvious disinterest in their conversation. Well, if he didn't want to talk with her, then that was just fine! Wanting so much to scream at him for being such an imprudent jerk-face, she held her ground proudly and murmured in a cool, polite tone. "Well, it was good to see you again. Please send your family my regards."

And with that, Sam whipped around and stormed out of the barn, completely forgetting the reason as to why she had walked in there in the first place. Letting out a short huff of frustration, Sam strode quickly back to the house, holding her head high and her fists firmly clenched.

Wyatt and Gram glanced up from the newspaper they were reading with identical expressions of surprise as Sam stormed into the house.

"I need to unpack some more of my things," Sam shot at them, not bothering to notice their shared glance of confusion. She climbed the stairs two at a time and then, once inside the safe confinement of her room, slammed her door with all the possible strength she possessed.

Sam unclenched her fists and then clenched them again, trying very hard to control her temper. She glanced desperately around the room, wanting to do something that will keep her mind from…unwanted memories. She walked around the room, beginning to sort through and rearrange some of her things, but after about five minutes she still had not succeeded in what she had wanted. Stopping in the middle of the room, Sam bit down hard on her bottom lip to bite back a scream.

_Damn you, Jake, _Sam thought with an infuriating groan, flinging herself on top of her bed. _Damn you to hell and back for making me feel this way. _

And with those last tormented, raging thoughts storming through her mind, Sam fell into a restless, dream-filled languor.

It didn't help one bit that in those dreams, all she could see was a pair of dark, cold mustang eyes.

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**And that's it! Sorry again if it's too short for you, but it's all I can do at the moment. It's a miracle that I managed to get a chapter out tonight, but you guys really helped out with those great encouraging reviews! Keep them coming. =)**

**I probably won't be able to update as often as I have been - I'm on vacation with the fam, so it's kind of hard to sit down and write. But I'll try my hardest! Thanks again for all of your reviews, I really appreciate it!**

**Catch ya later!**

**~Mystic  
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	4. Chapter 4: Faith and Forgiveness

**Wow, I cannot get over how many people like this story! I am so flattered. You guys literally make me smile whenever I sign on into my email and see all your reviews staring back at me. Thanks for being so thoughtful and encouraging. And patient! Here is your next chapter.**

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**MusicAddict – **_Great idea! I will definitely keep it in mind. =)_

**Sokanon – **_Thanks! I actually love the letter idea, very imaginative! I'll have to keep that idea in mind as well. I think I'll just stick to one POV though – I'm not very good at the male perspective, haha, but that's just me._

**Brainyacthorslover – **_Wow thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoy my story and I appreciate you telling me so. Hope you like this next chapter._

**Shelby – **_Awesome idea, just wait and see what happens. =)_

**Hippicowgirl – **_Thanks! And don't worry, I won't jump into the weddings too soon, I don't it like it when that happens either. Drama needs to happen first, right? Hehe._

**Hope1422 – **_Yay! Go me! Thanks for the review I appreciate it. _

**Brambleshadow of WindClan – **_Haha amazing quote, that is just like me as well, I am always 'misplacing' things. Glad you like the story, thanks for reviewing!_

**SAKELover – **_Whoa, Hershey Park? That is my favorite amusement park of all time! I use to go there all the time when I visited my grandparents who lived in Hershey. Hope you have tons of fun! FYI, The Bear is my favorite ride ever, and so is Thunder and Lightning Racer. =) Anyways, hope you enjoy the next update!_

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_Chapter Four_

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

**Eleanor Roosevelt **

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After waking up from the short, miserable sleep she had just unwittingly endured, Sam stood up from the side of her bed and rubbed her hands over her tear-stained cheeks. She glanced at herself in the mirror and nearly flinched at her reflection. She looked like she had just dunked her head in one of the horse's water trough and taken a nap on the hay inside the barn. Muttering silent oaths underneath her breath, Sam took a quick shower and then slipped on the same thing she had put on this morning considering the fact that she hadn't quite gotten the chance to get it dirty. After brushing through her hair she decided to go outside again and give it a chance to air dry out in the sun, all the while hoping and praying that she wouldn't run into you-know-who.

Fetching Ace from inside the pasture, Sam led him up to the barn where she tacked him all up in about five minutes flat. She was eager to give her old boy a ride and had already wasted enough daylight crying herself to sleep over absolutely nothing. So what if Jake hadn't been talkative or, in the very least, welcoming? Honestly it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, concerning _him. _The best conclusion would be to just suck it up and deal with it. If Jake wanted to be cold and unfeeling well then so be it, she would gladly be honored to give him the same lousy consideration. Sam smirked slyly to herself before leading Ace out, fully tacked, and hoisting herself up on the saddle in one easy swing. Warmth spread through her from her head to the very tip of her toes at the comfortable feeling of being on Ace again, and with a loud, firm click of her tongue she nudged the old bay onward.

She took the trail that she was most familiar with, not wanting to get herself lost on her first real day back. But then again, she knew her way around well enough to doubt that that would ever happen, despite the fact that she had been gone for six whole years. Before she had left for college Sam had lived on the ranch long enough to master her surroundings and store it all in the back of her mind.

Now she took those pieces she had deposited so long ago and put them to the front of her mind, letting them guide her through the Nevada desert in complete, utter trust. She soon found herself remembering everything – the rocks, the bushes, the crevices that loomed high above her head. Sam smiled and took it all in; enjoying the feel of the faint breeze that brushed against her face and the occasional scuttling sound that she knew to be some little animal or reptile scurrying around nearby.

An hour passed and soon then another, and with a reluctant sigh Sam tugged on the reins and began to lead Ace back the way they had came. Sam knew her family would probably be worrying about her and she didn't want to give them any cause for concern. That was the _last _thing Sam wanted, let alone needed. Sam clicked her tongue and urged Ace on into a slow, steady canter across the open range. It wasn't long until she gave him his head, and with a wide grin she let down her reins, stretched her arms out and threw her head back as the familiar thrilling, rushing sensation soared through her, rendering her absolutely speechless.

This was it.

This was why she had finally decided to come back home.

She couldn't believe how much she had missed this. She had ridden in Montana too, of course, but nothing compared to _this. _

_Never _this.

Letting out a deep, thorough sigh of contentment, Sam almost didn't hear Ace's low, welcoming nicker until it was too late.

Sam knew who the tall stranger on horseback heading towards them was even before he came into view on his big black quarter horse. Anxiety pulled at her every nerve, and almost immediately Sam pushed it away, lifting her head and squinting nonchalantly in the cowboy's direction.

_What does he want? _She thought, flashing Jake a very distinctive look that said '_I don't want you here.' _

Apparently he thought the same, because the look on his face was just as amenable, if not more. She narrowed her eyes and drew Ace to a complete stop. Once Jake had approached them he did the same with Witch, and a loud, abrupt silence exploded between them.

Shifting awkwardly in the saddle, Sam shot him an annoyance glance and said non-too-sweetly, "Hello, _Jake._"

"Hello, Brat," Jake murmured dryly, scorching her face with his hard, piercing gaze.

"Is there something you want?" Sam said irritably after a long moment of waiting for him to explain his presence. Not that she would care about what he wanted…much.

"Wyatt and Brynna asked me to go out and make sure you were okay," he replied bluntly with no trace of remorse on his face.

A fresh wave of anger plummeted through her. She was twenty-freaking-three years old! She could take care of herself and didn't need her dad and step-mom ordering some cowhand around to go out and check on her.

Not only did she feel embarrassed, but she felt humiliated. As if some of her pride had been stripped away, leaving a long string of animosity to trail in its wake. Her hands, which had been light and care-free not too long ago, gripped tightly around the reins in the midst of her anger.

"Well, you might as well turn around and go back. I'm _fine,_" Sam very nearly growled.

The cowboy actually had the audacity to smirk. "I see you still hate it when people feel inclined to keep you safe."

Sam let out a very unlady-like snort. "This is different. I'm _twenty-three _years old. I'm perfectly capable of taking a trail ride by myself. And I most certainly do _not _need some pompous nincompoop making sure I'm 'okay.'"

"Pompous nincompoop?" Jake echoed, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Yes," Sam said with a firm nod. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's about time I head home."

And with that, Sam kicked Ace's sides twice very lightly with her heels and raced past, leaving a very puzzled cowboy staring after her.

* * *

"Dad, Brynna, can I talk to you for a second?"

It was after dinner, which had quite honestly been a very awkward one at that. Gram had predictably asked Jake to stay much to her dismay, and despite her screaming mental wishes to have him pass the offer up, he didn't. And so thus followed the most excruciating dinner she had ever experienced. Silence had flowed throughout most of it, regardless of Gram's and Brynna's several conversation attempts. Mostly all of them failed, however, and since Sam sat directly beside Jake she could barely move her leg in fear that it would brush his, let alone speak to him or anyone else.

Not that she had wanted to speak to him, anyway.

Thankfully, he had given his quiet thanks to Gram for the dinner and headed out the door before she could give him any ideas about dessert. Sam had gotten through half of her mouth-watering peach cobbler before setting down her fork and standing up from the table. She fixed her father and step-mother with a firm, stern stare and waited for their response.

"Is something wrong, Sam?" Brynna asked, blinking in concern.

Wyatt glanced up from his plate of half-eaten peach cobbler, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Sort of," Sam muttered, and then glanced pointedly at the stairs before turning to climb up them, quickly and with strong purpose.

Brynna and Wyatt followed soon after, stopping to stand in front of her from inside the hallway. She leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and glared at them.

"I am twenty-three years old," she admonished.

"And?" Wyatt replied. Brynna just continued to look at Sam in silent befuddlement.

"_And _therefore_,_" Sam continued, "I do not need my father and step-mother bothering ranch hands to 'check up' on me. I was only gone for two hours. _Two! _I can understand if I was away for four hours, five and a half at the most. But two? You make me seem as if I'm thirteen years old!"

"Sam," Wyatt started, giving his daughter a 'don't-start-with-me' look. She clenched her fists together, prepared to fight her father on this one. By the time this conversation was over she _would _be given justice.

"You haven't been back here for six years and we just wanted to make sure that you hadn't gotten off-track somewhere. Even _I manage _to stray off the trails from time to time, ask Brynna. I was only making sure that that wouldn't happen with you having just gotten back and all."

"I understand," Sam said calmly, not giving Brynna a chance to speak. This was really just her and her father's problem, anyway. He was _way _over-protective and that needed to end.

Pronto.

"But _you _need to understand that I'm not some little girl anymore. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and even if I _had _gotten off-track I would've just gone back the way I had come and follow Ace's hoof prints. I'm your daughter Dad, and even though I haven't been here for a long time, I still remember what you taught me. I can handle a simple situation such as getting lost. Okay?"

There was a long silence. Sam stared unblinkingly at her father for a couple moments to make sure he knew that she was being dead serious. She glanced over at Brynna after a minute and to her surprise, saw the young woman staring at her with a look of pride on her face. She was in complete agreement with her. Hiding a smile, Sam turned her gaze back to her dad and was relieved when he finally spoke.

"Okay," he said at last, giving her a brief nod. "I guess I could've waited a _little _bit longer until I ordered out a search team for you. I guess I still just consider you my little girl. I'll try real hard to put more faith in you though, Samantha."

"Promise?" Sam urged, taking a cautious step forward.

He nodded again, and Sam could've sworn that she saw some wetness build up in the back of his eyes. Beaming, she closed the space between her and her father and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Thanks Dad," she whispered gratefully in his ear before pulling away, a confused look suddenly spreading across her face as she recalled what he had said before. "Wait did you say search…_team_?"

Wyatt's whole face immediately flushed a rosy shade of pink. "Uh…time for me to feed the horses."

Five seconds later he was gone, with Sam following not too far behind.

"_Dad! _You come back here! What do you mean a _search team?"_

Chuckling softly, Brynna stood at the top of the stairs with both hands propped neatly on her hips.

"My, my, my," she murmured softly to herself. "It sure is good to have that girl back."

* * *

That same night before Sam went to bed she felt the strangest feeling at the pit of her stomach. _Weird, _she thought, frowning lightly before turning off the light and crawling into bed. She didn't think too much of it, and after ten minutes she was fast asleep.

She jerked awake in the middle of the night at the sound of a shrill, urgent whinny. At least she _thought _she had heard a whinny or neigh of some kind. Sam glanced at her nightstand and read the time.

Twelve forty-nine am.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Sam stood up and shuffled over to her window, which she had left cracked in the middle of the night. She pulled the seal up high and then peered out through the night, expecting to see just about anything.

What she saw though, made her heart stop.

It was _him._

The Phantom.

Blackie.

_Zanzibar. _

He had come to see her. But…how ever could he have known she was back? Shaking off the shock, Sam whipped around and grabbed one of her robes from inside her closet before quietly sneaking out of her bedroom, careful not to make a sound and wake up Wyatt and Brynna. She took the stairs one at a time, crossed the kitchen on tip-toe, and then silently slipped into the night.

It was pitch black, but soon Sam's eyes began to grow accustomed to it. She started to run, barely noticing the occasional pain that shot through her due to the rocks that pricked her bare feet. Her eyes stayed trained on the one solid figure standing proudly beside the river, the moon casting its bright, silver rays onto his body and causing him to glimmer and glow. Sam's breath caught in her throat at the awe-inspiring sight.

Sam slowed her anxious run into a cautious walk as she neared the great phantom stallion. His ears pricked, as if sensing her presence and his large, magnificent head swiveled to face her. He took one look at her as she approached before letting out a low, gentle nicker.

Stopping just feet away from her beloved horse, Sam stared at him in silent yearning, wanting so much to just step forward and wrap her arms lovingly around his neck. But she wasn't certain that he even remembered her. This could just be some coincidental, one-time experience. And even though it would surely break Sam's heart if it was, she still had that one small hope that this was different…that he really _h_a_d _come to see her after all this time.

Several long, heart-wrenching minutes passed, and as Sam watched the Phantom lower his head and take a drink of the river water, she began to lose hope. And then, miraculously, he stopped drinking and stepped forward into the water, taking her completely by surprise.

She stood very still as he made his way across the river, straight towards her. Barely did she breathe as he climbed back onto land and with another low, soft nicker, bumped her lightly on the arm with his muzzle. Tears threatened to spill as Sam stood there beside him, unable to utter a word let alone a single sound.

Instead, she closed the space between girl and phantom and wrapped her arms very gently around his neck, but with such loving ferocity no one would ever dare to question it.

"Oh Zanzibar," Sam whispered fiercely, and she nearly smiled at the way his ears flicked forward at the sound of his secret name she had given him all those years ago.

"You _do _remember me."

He snorted, and Sam giggled softly.

"I know, I never should have thought that you would forget me. It's just…I've been away for _so long. _I hope you will forgive me. I never meant to abandon you."

He dug at the ground with his front left hoof and then tossed his head.

"Is that a yes?" Sam questioned hopefully.

He stared back at her with black, soulful eyes, and this time she finally allowed the tears to fall, one by one, down her cheeks.

"Thank you," she murmured, reaching out and laying her hands on each side of his face. "You don't know how much that means to me."

He stood there for another full minute, which to Sam felt like an eternity, before at last he turned around and headed back the way he had came. She watched him cross the river and waited until he was on the other side before whispering softly into the night, "Sweet dreams, Zanzibar."

And like a ghost, he was gone…carrying with him a precious piece of her heart.

* * *

**And that is my longest chapter yet! Impressive right? Haha, I sure hope so after all the work I put in it, and during vacation no doubt! Well, I did it mostly for you guys. You're the best readers an aspiring writer could ever ask for. Oh, before I forget, everyone should check out the poll on my profile page and vote, I want to see what you guys think! Next chapter should be up as soon as possible, which would probably be about five or six days at the most. **

**Till then, hit me up with a review or two, I'll love you and your monkey forever. =)**

**~Mystic  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Dealing With The Pain

**Hey guys! I just got back from my college orientation, so I've been pretty busy. And like I said in the last chapter it should take me about five or six days every time for me to update. Thanks for being so patient! Here is my next chapter.**

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_Chapter Five_

"Love is love, no matter what, and regardless of how it happens. All you have to do is believe in it."

**Brynna Forster**

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"Sam, could you come down here for a minute? We've got some visitors."

Glancing up from the glowing screen of her laptop at the sound of her father's voice coming from downstairs, Sam frowned, wondering who the visitors could possibly be. Looking down at the brown furry lump laying stretched out across her lap, Sam smiled and murmured apologetically to the sleeping feline, "Sorry, Cougar. Duty calls."

She slid the disgruntled cat off her lap and onto her bedspread much to his distaste before sliding off the bed and heading out the door, towards the sound of several muffled voices coming from the kitchen.

"So you're thinking of a spring wedding? Oh, how wonderful!" Sam heard Brynna exclaim with pleasure.

_Wedding? _

Sam perked at the word, suddenly realizing who the visitors were even before she walked into the kitchen and saw the happy couple sitting there at the table, along with Brynna, Wyatt, and Gram. Sam flashed them a grin and sauntered over.

Quinn's eyes widened when he saw her. "Whoa! Sam, you look…" he trailed off, unable to concoct an appropriate word that would describe Sam's changed appearance.

Sam laughed. "Older? Different? More mature?" she suggested helpfully.

"Older? Definitely. Different? Hell yeah. More mature? _That_ I have yet to see," Quinn told her with a teasing grin.

Jen rolled her eyes, and Sam let out another laugh. "It's good to see you again too, Quinn. Oh, and congrats on becoming engaged and all. How'd you manage that?" she half-joked.

"Hey," Quinn said indignantly, "I _do _happen to be very charming. And smart. And irresistibly handsome," he added, causing a snort to come from Sam. Jen merely shook her head and smiled.

"I don't think it matters at all how he managed it," Brynna retorted, sharing a gentle, loving look with Wyatt. "Love is love, no matter what, and regardless of how it happens. All you have to do is believe in it."

Even though Brynna had clearly meant for that statement to be for Quinn and Jen, Sam's thoughts trailed to her and Jake.

_Love is love, no matter what._

Sam frowned. That may be true, but was Brynna forgetting about all the pain and loss that came with it?

_Regardless of how it happens…_

Regardless? What did Brynna mean by that? A lot of the time _'how' _love happened was the most important part!

_All you have to do is believe in it._

But she _had _believed in it. She still did. It didn't help that Jake was being such a pain in the ass. If he would just let her in, give her some insight on how he was feeling, then perhaps things would get easier.

"Sam?" Jen questioned, immediately snatching her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Sam glanced back over at her friend, forcing herself to pay attention. She had to stop obsessing over the situation between her and Jake. It would solve itself eventually…_hopefully. _

"Want to take a walk with me?" Jen suggested.

Sam nodded. "Sure. Just let me grab my jacket."

Once she did Sam gave her good-byes to the family, waited for Jen to give Quinn a quick farewell kiss, and then followed her friend out the door with her hands tucked neatly inside her front pockets.

"Speak," Jen demanded the moment they were out of ear-shot.

Sam shot her friend an inquiring glance. "Excuse me?"

"I can tell something is bothering you," Jen said, staring at her with a frown. "And I want to know what it is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam lied, glancing away uneasily. She was suddenly unable to meet her friend's eyes, and her stomach began to twist in knots.

"Bullshit," Jen shot, and so bluntly that Sam turned to gaze at her best friend in annoyance, exasperated by the fact that she had been away from Jen for six whole years and yet she _still _possessed the uncanny ability to read her like an open book.

"Don't act dumb with me, Samantha," Jen warned, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. She gave Sam a look filled with sympathy and added, "It's Jake, isn't it?"

Sam considered denying it, but then thought to herself, what good would that do? Jen obviously was adamant in finding out what was going on, and as her friend Jen had a right to know. Plus, it would be good to get her feelings out and relieve all of the stress and despair that had been consuming her these last couple of days. And maybe if she confided in Jen, she would finally start to feel better.

_Unlikely, _she thought with a grim frown.

Sam glanced over at Jen with a desperate expression painted solely on her face. "He hates me, Jen. No, don't," she said when she saw Jen open her mouth to protest, "I know he does. I can tell every time he looks at me. But it's not just the fact that he hates me, Jen. It's…it's the fact that I _deserve _it that hurts the most. I broke his heart, and not accidentally, either. I _left _him the night he told me he loved me. He'll never forgive me for that."

"Oh Sam," Jen said with an impatient sigh. "You're not the one who is entirely to blame, all right? Jake is in the wrong, too."

Sam shot an eyebrow up. "Oh?"

"Yes, _oh. _You were only eighteen, Sam. You had your whole life ahead of you! Heck, you still do. Jake was wrong to want you to stay. I mean, yeah, you left him, but it wasn't because you didn't love him back. It was because you needed to go to college and make something of yourself. And personally, I think Jake is a big dolt for not understanding that, and more importantly…for not understanding _you._"

Sam considered that for a moment, and then with a soft smile she stopped and turned to hug her. "Thank you," she whispered. It was times like these in which she was truly grateful to have a friend like Jen. If she didn't have Jen, she'd probably be in an even worse condition than she was in now. At least she had someone to turn to – someone to diminish her fears.

But not even Jen could wash away the impending doubt that continued to grow like wildfire within her heart with each passing second, minute, hour, and day.

* * *

"_You had my heart, now I want it back!"_

Country music blared from the speakers of an old, dusty radio perched on top of a hay stack. The horse's, who were stuck inside their stalls during the hottest time of the day, flicked their ears in bored disinterest as Carrie Underwood's song reached its climax.

"_I'm starting to see everything you lack. Boy you blew it, you put me through it."_

Sam shuffled out of the tack room, carrying an armful of brushes and other grooming necessities. At the top of her lungs she sang, "I wanna un-un-un-undo it!"

And then with a gasp, she collided into something that had not been there just a moment before. The brushes flew out of her hands and collapsed onto the ground with a heavy _thud. _Sam stepped back and gaped at the tall, dark cowboy who stood rigidly in front of her, a thunderous expression dancing across his handsome features. She nearly groaned out loud when she saw the familiar face from beneath that old black Stetson

It just _had _to be Jake.

"What the hell, Samantha?" Jake yelled in able to be heard above the noise. "Turn that down!"

Sam pretended she hadn't heard him. "What did you say?" she half-shouted, gazing smugly at him.

Jake glared daggers at her and gestured wildly at the radio with his left hand. "I _said _turn that down!"

Turning around, Sam tuned down the volume a couple notches before glancing back over at Jake, who now thanks to her appeared to be royally pissed.

Bravo, Sam. Bravo.

After taking a moment to make sure that his hearing was still intact, Jake shot Sam a look of half-annoyance and half-exasperation. "What, exactly, were you trying to do? Blow the horse's brains out? See how long it would take for them to go deaf?"

Sam merely crossed her arms against her chest and narrowed her pretty brown eyes at him. "Oh, yes, those were my _exact _intentions. I just _live _to torture animals," she replied sarcastically.

"Sarcasm is not flattering, Brat," Jake sneered.

"And why on this earth would I want to flatter _you_?" Sam pointed out, rage boiling just above the surface. "Oh, and don't you _dare _call me that."

"Why?" Jake challenged. "Have you finally come to terms with the fact that you _are _one?"

"What-you!" Sam sputtered in outrage. She uncrossed her arms from her chest and let them fall to her sides with her fists clenched. "I am _not _a brat! At least…not anymore."

Jake raised a skeptical eyebrow but said nothing, thus giving Sam the courage to continue speaking.

"I've changed," she said firmly, drawing in a shaky breath. She didn't dare look at Jake as she stated with all the dignity and conviction she could muster, "I'm not the same girl that left all those years ago, Jake. I'm older now…I've _grown. _And so I'll be _d__amned _if I hear you call me that…that _name _ever again. It's meaningless now."

_And so are you! _Sam wanted to exclaim, but she held her tongue and finally gained the courage to glance up and at his face.

Nothing. She saw _nothing. _His face was like a mask, hiding everything that Sam so desperately needed to find. How could she get to him if he wouldn't at least let her in and know what he was feeling?

Then she realized something. This was _Jake _she was dealing with_. _This was how he dealt with the pain – by shoving it all aside and pretending it wasn't there. He had _always _been like that – from the very beginning. And now, after being away from him for six years, she was just beginning to remember that.

A deep pang of sadness crept into her very soul, and with a soft, painful sigh, Sam looked straight into his dark and empty mustang eyes and said in a heart-felt whisper, "I've changed Jake. Maybe now it's time for _you_ to."

And with that Sam turned around and left him to stand there and wonder what the hell he was to think. But that was okay, because at the moment Sam didn't know what the hell to think either.

When she was about half-way back to the house she stopped and felt tears start to prickle at the back of her eyes. _Why? _Sam thought suddenly, thrusting her fingers into her long auburn hair and clenching her eyes shut to block out the sun.

Brynna's words echoed inside her mind, reinforcing a giant ache in her heart that she hadn't even known existed until then.

_Love is love, no matter what, and regardless of how it happens. All you have to do is believe in it._

Sam opened her eyes and glanced back over her shoulder at the barn. At Jake. At everything that she couldn't dare explain, let alone comprehend or coincide. Her shoulders hunched over, and her eyes clouded with misery and a heart-wrenching anguish. One thought became evident in her mind as she stood there, staring helplessly into space.

_Why, Jake? Why do you have to make it so hard?_

_

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**So this chapter was a pretty important one. I know some of you are probably getting anxious and wondering when the heck Jake and Sam are going to end up back together. I have one word for you: _patience. _It will happen eventually, I promise. Just hang on tight to your britches. =)**

**Again, expect an update in the next five to six days.**

**Till then, reviews are love! Ideas and opinions are always welcome. Flames, not so much.  
**

**~Mystic  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Trials Give You Strength

_Chapter Six_

"Trials give you strength, sorrows give understanding and wisdom."

**Chuck T. Falcon**

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Sam let out a sharp gasp of surprise as she stumbled over a saddle on the floor, causing her to fly forward and run smack into the wall. She winced at the sound of her head hitting the hard exterior, already knowing what to expect as she reached up and placed her hand on the spot that was throbbing painfully with each second that passed. She blinked at the sight of the blood that flowed down her fingers and into the palm of her hand.

_Crap._

Why did she have to be so darn clumsy? Muttering a quiet, frustrated oath from underneath her breath, Sam picked up the halter that she had managed to fling halfway across the tack room when she had fallen and trudged none too happily out the door.

As she made her way towards Ace's stall she smiled, eager to see her beloved friend after her long, eventful day away from the ranch. In the morning she had helped muck out some of the stalls, taken a shower, and then headed on over to Harmony Ranch to visit with Jen and her mother, where they had sat mostly in the kitchen going over wedding plans.

After that Jen had showed Sam around the stables, proudly introducing her to all their new horses. The small ranch that the Kenworthy's had started after Linc Slocum's arrest had grown incredibly since she had been gone – it had doubled in nearly half the size of what their old ranch, Gold Dust, had been, which was simply amazing to Sam.

Sam could tell that her friend had never been happier than she was now, and just the thought caused her smile to widen as she casually approached Ace's stall.

That same smile went away just as suddenly as it had come when she caught sight of the cowhand standing beside her horse from inside the stall, his large, gentle hand running smoothly over the bay's neck as he munched on a bucket of oats.

The moment Jake's eyes met Sam's she scowled. "What are you doing?" she demanded crossly, hanging the halter on the hook beside Ace's stall and crossing her arms to glower at him. Why did Jake always appear wherever she went? It was almost as if he _wanted _to make her angry with each chance he got, and so far he was succeeding. It was starting to seriously aggravate her, and she had only been back for four days!

"I'm feeding the horses," Jake answered innocently, giving Ace a solid, affectionate pat on the shoulder before flashing Sam that infuriating tomcat grin she knew all too well. It took all of Sam's will-power not to hop over the stall and lay her fist into his nose.

She probably would have done it too if she hadn't been shaking so hard from the anger that coursed through her with the strength of a hot, raging wildfire.

"Ace is _my _horse," Sam said firmly, satisfied by how calm she sounded.

Jake didn't seem very surprised at her remark. In fact, it almost looked as if he had expected it. Cocking his head slightly, he leaned his shoulder against Ace's side and mimicked Sam's posture by crossing his arms.

"That may be true, but for the last six years I'm the one that has been grooming him, feeding him, bathing him…" he trailed off, smirking smugly at he noticed Sam's pained, affronted expression. "So do I get a thank-you?" he dared to question, bracing himself for a blast of fury.

Much to his bewilderment, all anger seemed to leave her face and with a mocking smile she fixed him with a cool stare.

"Look Jake, I appreciate you taking care of him while I've been gone. I really do. But I'm back now, okay? For good. And now that I am, _I _will be the one to take care of him. Got it, cowboy?"

Jake shrugged indifferently, causing Sam's deep brown eyes to flash with annoyance. Why did he always have to be so difficult? It was like nothing she said ever mattered. Why couldn't he be nice to her, just this once?

"Do what you want, Brat," Jake muttered, mostly to himself, before unlatching the stall door and shoving it forward.

Sam had to hop away quickly to avoid being hit, earning Jake a furious glare.

"What is your _problem?_" she snapped, propping both hands on her hips.

Jake caught sight of the small cut on Sam's forehead and frowned. "What happened?" he questioned curiously.

Was it just her mind playing tricks on her or did Jake almost seem...concerned?

Quickly brushing that ridiculous thought aside, Sam narrowed her eyes at him and said, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Jake hesitated, looking as if he was going to say something else, before merely casting the irritated female a blank, casual look from beneath his black Stetson before turning around and walking away, hands placed neatly in his two front pockets.

Sam stared after him in exasperation, wanting so much to chase after the infuriating cowboy and shake some sense into him. This new, bizarre relationship between them was going absolutely nowhere. With each short encounter they were neither pushing ahead nor falling back – it was like they were stuck, with no way to get out.

And it was beginning to make Sam wonder…was it foolish to hope that things would ever be the same again?

* * *

After helping Gram clean the dirty dishes from dinner Sam politely excused herself and silently slipped out of the house. The sun was beginning to set, shedding rays of gold, red, and orange onto the rocky Nevada landscape. Sam blinked as the dying sunlight fell on her face, and for a moment she just stood there on the porch, basking in the fading warmth that washed over her.

The familiar sound of tires rolling over the bridge caused Sam to snap out of her daze. Lifting her hand above her eyes to shield her gaze from the sun, she gazed curiously at the small red Toyota that was making its way down the driveway and towards the ranch.

_I wonder who it is, _Sam thought to herself, taking a step down from the porch just as she saw movement coming from the barn. She glanced towards it and furrowed her eyebrow in confusion when she spotted Jake strolling swiftly towards the oncoming car, his expression unreadable.

Sam stayed put, watching in silent anticipation as the car pulled to an abrupt stop not too far from the house. Jake was almost to the car before the driver's door swung open and a tall, willowy figure stepped out, her long dark hair cascading in thick curls down the length of her back. She looked to be exactly Jake's height Sam noted, just as the pretty brunette stepped forward and pressed against him, wrapping her arms snugly around his neck.

Sam's mouth went completely dry. She stood there on the porch steps, solid as a stone as she watched Jake place both his hands on the girl's waist and lay his cheek affectionately against hers, murmuring something in her ear. The girl leaned her head back and let out a loud, melodious laugh, one that sounded so deliriously beautiful it caused Sam's stomach to twist with nausea.

Who _was _this girl? And how on earth had Jake come to know her?

As if she had spoken her thoughts out loud, both Jake and the girl turned around and headed in her direction.

_Oh, perfect, _Sam thought, biting down softly on her bottom lip in an act of nervousness. _Calm down, Sam, _she chided herself after allowing herself a moment to freak out. _You're not a little girl anymore. You are a strong, mature adult. Now start acting like it!_

Forcing herself to do just that, Sam climbed down the rest of the steps and strolled forward to meet them. The three stood in front of each other for a moment in awkward silence, before Jake let out a brief, uncomfortable cough and nodded his head towards the girl.

"Sam, I'd like you to meet Esmeralda. Ezzy, this is Sam."

Looking relieved that the introduction part was over, Jake gazed expectantly at the two women, waiting for them to converse. Sam glanced over at the other girl, struck with amazement as well as a deep sense of envy at what she saw. She had a dainty, angelic-like face with a smooth, tan complexion, along with high cheek bones leading up to a pair of startlingly deep, sea green eyes. Her hair was long and thick, framing her face in endless waves.

It made Sam sick.

"Hello," she said at last, grimacing at how weak her voice sounded. She gave the girl a small smile and added politely, "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah, so you're the Sam I've heard so much about!" Esmeralda exclaimed slyly, her inquisitive gaze raking over Sam's in cool calculation.

Sam blinked, wondering how much this _Ezzy _knew about her. A little unnerved, she nodded and replied a bit uncertainly, "Uh…yeah."

"Well it's an _honor _to meet you. You won't believe how many stories I've heard from Jake about the two of you. I almost feel as if I know you already!" She finished with a quick laugh, and Jake rubbed the back of his neck with his hand in an obvious sign of embarrassment.

Despite Esmeralda's hearty friendliness, Sam felt oddly perturbed. Tucking a strand of her thick, auburn hair behind her ear, she gave the dark-haired girl an uneasy smile.

"That's…nice. How did you two meet?" she questioned, nodding towards Jake.

"We met at a horse show about, hmm…six years ago, wasn't it Jake?" Not waiting for him to confirm that notion, Ezzy continued on blatantly, a wide grin spreading across her impeccable features as she told Sam the story of how they had met. "I was riding my horse, Dakota, over this one jump when I foolishly lost my balance and fell over the railing…Jake happened to just be standing near the sidelines when he saw what happened and immediately rushed over to my side to help. And, well, I guess it's plain to see we've been inseparable ever since."

She reached out and affectionately squeezed Jake's hand, making Sam want to throw up. She didn't dare look at Jake's face in fear of what she might see. Instead, she fixed her burning gaze on her shoes and concentrated solely on not losing her dinner.

She didn't know who this girl was and what she meant to Jake, but she did know one thing: she had to get away as soon as possible before she said something she knew she'd regret.

Quickly thinking up of some excuse, Sam said abruptly without any care of how lame it sounded, "I have to go um, check on one of the horses. See you Jake. And uh…nice to meet you Esmeralda – er, Ezzy." Mentally kicking herself for sounding so utterly stupid, Sam made a beeline for the barn.

Once inside, she didn't wonder about what she was going to do next. She already knew as she snatched up Ace's bridal from inside the tack room and made her way towards his stall. Ace's ears flicked forward as he saw her, and he let out a warm nicker in greeting. Instead of feeling happy by the affectionate sound, Sam had the sudden urge to break down and cry.

_No, _she told herself, opening the stall door with much more force than necessary and stepping inside to slip the bridal over Ace's head. Once that had been accomplished, she led him out of the barn the opposite way she had came in, not wanting Jake and that _girl _to see her leave. The last thing she needed was for them to wonder where she was headed, especially when she didn't even know the answer to that herself.

She hoisted herself up on Ace's bare back and fumbled for a grip on the reins. Clenching them tightly within her grasp, Sam leaned forward and whispered fiercely next to his ear, "Go, Ace. _Go." _She kicked him twice on his side with the heel of her boots and felt a rush of energy and relief surge through her as Ace lunged forward, first into a anxious trot and then into a full-speed gallop.

Closing her eyes, Sam hung on tightly to the reins as well as with her legs and let Ace take the lead, not caring where they went. All Sam cared about was the feel of the wind as it lashed against her face and the sound of Ace's pounding hooves as they carried her far, far away.

Storm clouds rolled in the distance, but Sam scarcely noticed.

Nor did she notice when, a couple hours later, a bolt of lightning struck the sky.

Ace had finally resulted to a walk, exhausted from the long run. With his head lowered to the ground he snorted softly, ears flicking sideways at the sudden boom of thunder heard from overhead.

Sam, whose arms were wrapped tightly around Ace's neck, lifted her head and looked around in alarm. She glanced up at the sky and felt her stomach drop in despair when she saw its dark, threatening demeanor. There was definitely going to be a storm and by the sound of it, it seemed close. Fear flashed across her face as she glanced around her surroundings.

She had absolutely no clue where she was.

_This cannot be happening, _Sam thought, turning Ace around as panic started to rise. And then, as if things couldn't get any worse, the sky opened up and a cold drenching rain came out of nowhere, soaking her in a matter of seconds.

One thought drifted into her mind as she stared out into the forlorn, barren landscape in shocked disbelief.

_Today is DEFINITELY not my day._

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**Hey guys!**

**So, what did you think? Have any predictions on what's gonna happen next?**

**I'd love to hear them. =)**

**Next chapter should be out in the next five to six days...remember, patience is the key!**

**And so are reviews, hehe.**

**~Mystic  
**


	7. Chapter 7: The Anger That Blinds

**So I feel like I'm losing my readers...I am getting less and less views with each chapter. This makes me sad. I have a feeling though that this chapter might help a bit. If it doesn't make you cry with joy, well then...it'll most certainly make you smile. =)**

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_Chapter Seven_

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

**Leo F. Buscaglia**

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Sam stared helplessly at the thick sheets of rain that had been falling mercilessly for the past half hour. With each miserable minute that passed a fresh wave of despair trembled through her, causing her to hold on tighter to the small inkling of hope that she had of ever finding some kind of shelter. She had already given up on finding her way back to the ranch – it was useless to think that she could see anything through this rain, let alone figure out where exactly she was. Panic had long since settled in.

_At least I have Ace, _she thought, providing herself a small trace of comfort. She leaned forward and brushed her fingers reassuringly against his mane, knowing almost more than anything else that she could trust him. If worst came to worst he would still be there, adamant always in never wanting to leave her side. He was loyal to the bone, as well as to the heart. It was in times like these that Sam knew she could always count on Ace – her old friend and trusted companion.

"C'mon Ace," Sam urged, loud enough to be heard over the pounding rain that was pelting them both. "We can do this."

_There has to be some shelter around here somewhere…anywhere._

Sam nudged him on with a gentle, yet firm conviction. If she and Ace didn't get out of this rain soon, she knew very well what could happen. She had heard several stories of people getting hypothermia and had read about how dangerous it could become once your body was in that kind of condition. Sam shuddered inwardly and forced herself to start concentrating on finding shelter rather than worrying over her fears.

Ten more minutes passed and Sam could no longer feel the tips of her fingers which touched the white, freezing palm of her hands. She was shivering uncontrollably now; her teeth chattering so hard that she was afraid they'd break and fall right out of her mouth at any second. Ace continued to walk down the aimless path, though she knew he was losing his equilibrium. Guilt wrenched through her, and a muffled sob escaped her lips.

This was all her fault, if only she hadn't been so stupid as to lose sight of where they were going. And even more than that, she shouldn't have let the discovery of Ezzy and Jake's friendship bother her so much. So what if Jake had found someone else to spend his time with? It was probably for the best, after all. The last thing Sam had wanted for Jake when she had left him was for him to feel lonely – at least now she could feel better about having left him, knowing that he had someone all along to help ease his pain.

So why did she still feel this gnawing ache inside her heart?

Before she could ponder further on the subject, something immediately caught her eye. Could it be? Sam's breath caught in her throat as her and Ace drew nearer to the high, rocky incline. They must be nearing a canyon! Hope flared through her, and in sensing his owner's sudden change of emotion Ace pricked his ears and gave a small snort.

"Atta' boy Ace," Sam murmured, too cold and weak to raise her voice above the driving rain. "Keep on going, we're almost there."

It wasn't long until they came across a small cave within the canyon walls. The moment they were inside Sam let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. They weren't home, but at least they had made it out of the rain. Sam glanced down and grimaced. She had on only a shirt and a light jacket, and both were completely soaked through. Not to mention the fact that her hands and feet were nearly frozen and her face felt like it was about to fall off at any moment.

But she was shivering. Shivering was good, right? That meant her body hadn't fallen into any erratic temperatures.

Yet.

Moving to the very back of the cave, Sam sat down on the floor and huddled into a small, tight ball, seeking the little warmth that she could find. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her ragged breathing – her heart was beating way too fast. Was that normal? _Relax, _she told herself, leaning her head back against the cave wall and trying her best to slow her wild, racing heart. She thought she could hear Ace nicker faintly from the front of the cave, but to her it sounded only like a far-away echo.

_It'll be okay. Everything is going to turn out fine…_

Those were Sam's last two coherent thoughts before she slowly slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

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The first thing Sam noticed when she woke up was the fact that she was no longer cold. Warmth seeped through her from her nose to the very tip of her toes, where only a couple minutes ago they had felt as frosty as an iceberg. Alarmed, Sam opened her eyes and was stunned to see that she was no longer in the cave, but in her own room, in her own bed. Relief washed over her like a giant tidal wave, followed by a quick turbulence of confusion.

How in the world had she gotten back home? She had no memory of ever getting back on Ace, or of anyone coming to get her. Pursing her lips in a frown, Sam lifted her head only to gasp and let it fall back down on the pillow. Feeling as dizzy as a dog chasing its tail, Sam laid her hand across her forehead and let out a groan.

"Samantha? Oh, thank you Lord!" Sam nearly jumped at the sound of Gram's relieved cry from the front of the door. "Wyatt, get in here! Your daughter's awake!"

Sam managed a weak smile for her father as he burst through the door and came directly to her side. Brynna followed soon after, along with Gram and Shiloh, who Sam had to admit looked as cute as can be wearing jeans and a pair of cowboy boots, along with a bright green t-shirt shirt and his very own cowboy hat.

"Oh Sam, we were so worried about you!" Brynna exclaimed, leaning down to give her step-daughter a fierce hug, but being careful not to squeeze too tight.

Wyatt stared down at his daughter, relief showing like a white shirt in night time all over his face. "You've had a fever for several days now, Sam," he explained softly, taking her hand. "We…we didn't know if you would make it."

"You very well might not have," Sam heard Gram remark, and her eyes widened as she listened to what she said next. "It's a good thing Jake found you or else you could have still been in that horrible cave! Lord knows what could've happened then." She ended with a shudder.

"W-Wait…" Sam turned her stunned gaze to her father, disbelief clearly written on her face. "Jake _found _me? How? When?"

"We're not really sure," Wyatt murmured, glancing over at Brynna before turning his sympathetic gaze back to his daughter. "We started worrying when you didn't come back from the stables after about two hours. Brynna called Jake to see if he knew where you had gone, and when he said he hadn't we all got on our horses and went looking for you. For the longest time we couldn't find you, and most of the cowhands had to go back because of the rain."

Guilt tore through her, and Sam clenched her fists together. How could she have been so utterly stupid? Not only had she risked her own life, but Ace's and her family and other people's as well…a gasp suddenly escaped her throat.

"Ace! Is he okay?" she questioned urgently, feeling her blood run cold as she anticipated her father's response.

"Yes, he's fine. By the time Jake managed to find you the rain had stopped and Jake was able to get you both back to safety. It's a good thing you found that cave Samantha, or else…" he trailed off, and a pained expression came across his face.

Sam didn't need for him to finish – she already knew what would have happened if she hadn't had found that cave. She shuddered inwardly at the thought, and then gave her father a soft, reassuring smile.

"It's okay Dad, it's over now. Is…is Jake around?"

Sam tried not to grimace as she said his name. She couldn't believe that out of everyone who had been out searching for her, _he w_as the one who had managed to save her. The situation was honestly quite laughable. Except instead of feeling like laughing, Sam felt like a ton of bricks had just fallen on top of her and she could scarcely breathe.

"He's down in the kitchen. Want me to go fetch him?"

_No! _Sam's mind screamed. Apparently her heart had other plans, because with a gentle nod of her head she said, "Okay."

Once her family had left the room, Sam began going over all of what she wanted to say. Unfortunately, nothing she thought was coming out right. Butterflies erupted inside her stomach, and with a panicky glance towards the door Sam prayed hard that there would be some miracle and he wouldn't come.

When he appeared at the door, Sam felt like her heart was about to leap straight out of her chest. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked standing there in the doorway, wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a long-sleeved gray plaid shirt. His long black hair was tied back, and for the first time since she had been back she could see his face clearly due to the fact that he wasn't wearing his hat.

He looked…older. No, not older. He looked like he had aged. There were lines on his face that she hadn't seen before, and his skin was darker as if he had spent hours on end out in the sun every day since she had been gone.

The thought made her sick to her stomach. Gulping down a mountain of fear, Sam finally gained the courage to speak. "Um, hi."

Sam resisted the urge to kick herself upside the head. _Um, hi? Way to go, Sam._

The corner of Jake's mouth twitched. "Hi," he murmured back.

"I just wanted to thank you," Sam began, feeling her cheeks flame up with heat. Her body was so warm that she felt like she was about to pass out. However, no matter how much she would have liked to do just that, she forced herself to keep her head in the game and managed to give Jake a small, wobbly smile.

"If…if you hadn't found me, we both know that I could have very well ended up dead. I don't even care anymore how you managed to find me, and I'm not going to ask. I just want you to know how grateful I am, and to…to thank you for saving my life."

Silence filled the room, and for a moment it was so deafening that Sam wished fervently that she was somewhere, anywhere else. She glanced up at Jake's face and wasn't surprised to see that it was, like always, completely unreadable.

"You're welcome," he said softly, and as he turned around to leave Sam's eyes widened and she stammered quickly.

"No, wait, don't I-"

Slowly, in turtle-like motion, he turned back around, raising his one eyebrow to stare questionably at her. Sam could feel beads of perspiration sliding down the side of her face, and with great amount of effort she went on to say, "I-I also wanted to say…that I'm sorry." Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked a couple of times before continuing on.

"I never meant to hurt you. But I did anyway, and in the end I hurt myself. It's just I…I thought you would be happy for me, Jake. Not to see me go but…to see me _grow. _I had dreams, Jake. I still do. And more than anything I wish that you could have understood my need to reach them, even though it meant watching me go."

Sam could feel tears building up, and for once she didn't push them away.

For once, she welcomed them.

She welcomed them because maybe now Jake would see her hurt and know how much she had cried, suffered, and pained to be with him, too.

"I m-missed you every moment that I was gone. I know you p-probably don't believe me, and t-that's okay. I k-know how you feel about me, and w-what can I say? I can't b-blame you. I just h-hope that you're happy. Does…E-Ezzy make you happy?"

Sam could barely see through her tears now, and she was sobbing so hard that her shoulders began to shake. And so you could imagine the shock that flared through her when she felt a pair of soft, strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close against a firm, broad chest.

Jake's warm breath brushed against her ear as he whispered gently to her in a low, tortured tone, "You have _no _idea how I feel about you, Sam."

"I-I d-don't?" Sam stuttered, shivering inwardly at his warm, unexpected touch. She glanced up at him and was startled to see that his dark eyes, once so cold and unfeeling, were burning with such an intense passion that it had Sam wondering how he had managed to hide it from her all this time.

"I love you Sam," Jake replied firmly, and her eyes widened. "I've never…_ever _stopped loving you. Ezzy and I, we're…we're just friends."

The part about him and Ezzy barely registered in her brain, for her mind was still reeling at what Jake had first said. _He still loves me? _Sam thought, unable to believe it. How could he still love her, after the way he had been treating her all this time? It just didn't make sense.

"You…still love me? After what I did? After…after I left you?" Sam blinked at him, in shock.

"Of course," Jake whispered hoarsely, and at the same exact moment her heart soared. "That one night when you told me about your plans, I felt like my heart had been ripped out. I was hurt because I wasn't in them. It was my anger all along that blinded me from understanding, and I realize now what an idiot I've been. But no matter what Sam, nothing…_nothing _you can say or do could ever make me hate you."

Sam shook her head, dazed, as she let all of the words that had been left unspoken for so long, fill her mind. "So why…why did you act like you did? You wouldn't even carry on a conversation with me, let alone act nice about it."

Jake cracked a small smile, and lifted a hand to brush his thumb gently across her tear-stained cheek. "I was mad. What other explanation can I give? And then when you became mad because I was mad-"he gave a soft, amused chuckle, "Well, let's just say it didn't help matters much. You are so darn stubborn."

"_I'm _stubborn?" Sam said indignantly, her lips turning up into a hint of a smile. "Hah! _You a_re the most stubborn person I know!"

Jake rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, Brat."

And in that moment, as her eyes caught Jake's and a filter of sunlight fell through the room, illuminating Jake's handsome, tender-loving face, Sam smiled.

Because she knew then that everything was going to be okay.

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**Cheesy way to end a chapter, I know. But I hope this one makes you happy and wanting more...because guess what? There is a lot more romance and drama yet to come! So keep your eyes open for my next chapter, which will be out just as soon as I can manage it. Till then, I'd appreciate any thoughts or opinions you might have for me. Reviews make my day. Literally. =)**

**~Mystic  
**


	8. Chapter 8: The Letter

**Surprise! I managed to get a chapter out earlier than I expected, thanks to all of my amazing reviewers! I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate everyone who is reading and reviewing my story, it really means a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, I have to say it just might be one of the best yet!**

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_Chapter Eight_

"Forgiveness is a funny thing; it warms the heart and cools the sting."

**William Arthur Ward**

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"Dad, come _on. _It's been five days since the doctor gave me the 'okay' to get out of the house. I'm going crazy stuck up in here. _Please _can I go?"

Sam gave her father the best puppy-dog look she could manage; thinking to herself that it was utterly ridiculous that she was twenty-three years old and still had to use it. Honestly, how more pathetic could she get?

_At least you have parents who care for your well-being, _a voice said at the very back of her mind, and she re-focused her attention back on her father, noting the clear disapproval in his tone as he spoke.

"Sam, I just don't think you're ready yet. You were in bed with a fever for four days, you're body needs time to recuperate. You can't just go hopping back on a horse again."

Sam made an exasperated sound from the back of her throat. "I know that Dad, I'm not stupid. But can I at least go outside and get some fresh air? Maybe visit Ace for a little while?"

Wyatt dropped the newspaper that he had been reading to stare at her, causing a smile to flit across her face because she knew she had won.

At least this time.

"I promise I won't go gallivanting off, all right? You have my word," Sam said seriously, and in turn her father let out a defeated sigh.

"Okay, but you come back in after an hour, you hear?"

Sam shuffled quickly out of the house, not wanting to give her father any time to change his mind, and headed straight towards the barn. Sticking her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, she breathed in the crisp morning air and glanced out towards the paddocks.

She noticed Pepper exercising one of the horses and waved a greeting. He tipped his hat to her in return before pulling his horse into a canter, the sound of its steady hooves against the sand causing Sam's heart to start to pound in yearning. She knew she wasn't strong enough to ride, yet that little notion didn't stop her from wishing that she could.

Spending so much time in the house was seriously starting to get tiring, despite her family's countless attempts to make it better. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever played so much hearts, in fact this past week pretty much set the record for the most hearts games ever played by Samantha Anne Forster. She could practically play the game in her sleep if it ever came down to it (which she sincerely hoped it didn't). Then there was chess, which Sam tended to be irrevocably bad at, no matter how many times she played with her father.

Gram had tried abating her boredom by suggesting she help with the cooking, which Sam willingly agreed to, but mostly out of courtesy than anything else. Brynna and Wyatt were usually always out working, which left Sam to spend some time with Shiloh in that she didn't mind in the least.

During the past few days Sam had come down to the conclusion that her little red-headed step-brother was the coolest, cutest, down-to-earth kid she had ever met. Not only that, but they happened to have a lot in common. They both adored horses, found lizards to be fascinating, and claimed macaroni and cheese as their all-time favorite meal. How could a new found sibling relationship get any better than that?

Sam smiled at that thought before slipping inside the barn and heading towards her horse. She found him in the corner of his stall munching on some hay, and with a grin she called out, "Hey Ace!"

Nickering softly in a way that made Sam's heart feel like it was about to melt, Ace lifted his head from the pile of hay and tossed his head to her gently in his special way of greeting. Unlatching the stall door, Sam stepped inside and lifted her hands to brush them affectionately against the side of his head.

"Oh Ace, I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, leaning down to nuzzle her cheek against his muzzle. "I feel horrible for what I did, having you run so long only to get caught in that freezing rain. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

Ace snorted as if coinciding with this, before butting her playfully on the head. Sam laughed and scratched him lovingly between the ears. "I promise I won't do anything like that again. Not with you, anyway. You're way too precious, especially to me. And you can be sure that the next time I move anywhere, I'm taking you with me. Okay, boy?"

Letting out an ear-splitting whinny, Ace nodded his head up and down, his ears pricked sternly from the top of his head. Sam couldn't help but laugh, and for the slightest second she had the feeling that everything was all right in the world.

That peaceful moment was soon broken, however, when she heard a pair of footsteps from right behind her. Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned around and nearly blanched at the sight of the tall, dark-haired beauty standing so angelically by the stall door.

_Ezzy, _Sam thought with dread, taking in the girl's flawless appearance. She had on a pair of slimming, low-rider blue jeans that clung to her hips, a white strapless cotton blouse, and was wearing a rather expensive looking pair of brown western cowboy boots. A black pair of sunglasses was perched on top of her head, where her long dark hair had been pulled up into a thick, messy bun. Sam couldn't remember ever seeing someone so beautiful, and it made Sam wonder how she and Jake had managed to stay 'just friends'.

"I thought I'd find you here," Ezzy said sweetly, flashing Sam a wide, brilliant smile.

Have mercy, even her _teeth _were perfect. Self-consciously, Sam reached up and tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, thanking herself repeatedly for having decided to take a shower that morning.

"Uh, yeah, I was just visiting Ace here for awhile." Standing there awkwardly, Sam couldn't think of anything to do besides pet Ace on the neck and wonder desperately why the heck Ezzy was there. And so she asked, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Actually, you can," Ezzy said just as sweetly as before, taking a step forward.

Sam eyed the girl warily, and was just about to question exactly what when Ezzy's expression turned from light and amiable to outright disgust in a matter of seconds.

"Okay, listen up and listen _good. _Jake and I, we're a team now. For the past six years we've gotten to know each other really well, and what we have just doesn't come around every day. I know that what you two had before you left was special too, but whether you like it or not, Jake has someone _else _now. Someone he can _always _count on to never leave him. And now that you're back for who knows how ever long, I won't let some stupid long lost friend come between what Jake and I have. So if I was you, and I would _truly _consider this if I was, I recommend you go back to Colorado or wherever the hell you escaped to, and leave Jake be. He didn't need you in his life all those years you were gone, and he doesn't need you in his life now."

Shock barely had a chance to register before Ezzy's words came rolling in like a formidable storm cloud, causing a clash of emotions to burst through. First, there was anger. How _dare _some stranger waltz in and talk about her and Jake's relationship as if it meant nothing? Sam's hand clenched into fists, and for a moment she just stood there staring blindly at the girl standing defiantly in front of her, letting those treacherous words take hold.

Next, there was uncertainty. What if Jake truly _didn't _need her? What if he was in love with Ezzy too? Quickly she brushed that ridiculous thought aside, and replaced with the uncertainty came a sudden pang of sadness. Even if Jake wasn't in love with Ezzy, he had still obviously become good friends with her, and so it wasn't just 'her' anymore, like old times. Things would seem different. Their _relationship _was different, even now after all this time.

But they still had a relationship.

And no matter what, Sam was willing to fight Ezzy for that. For Jake.

For _them._

"You're wrong," Sam whispered, lifting her head finally to fix Ezzy with a straight, piercing gaze. "What Jake and I have, it's not just something we can throw away. He loves me. And most importantly, _I _love him. So you'd have to go through some serious measures in able to take me away from him. Oh, and by the way?" With a smirk, Sam stepped forward until she was nose-to-nose with the scowling brunette.

Looking her dead in the eye she told her firmly and with a fixed air, "I'm not going _anywhere._"

And with that Sam stepped outside Ace's stall, bolted the door with a victorious _bang_, and marched out of the barn as if she had just been awarded the Kentucky Derby gold cup.

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Later on that night Sam sat cross-legged on her bed with a sleeping cat on her lap, shuffling through an assortment of letters that she had received from her friends over the years.

After reading through most of them, she was just about to put them all away when Cougar awoke from his nap, stretched, and pounced on an old crinkled up letter that had been just about to slide off the bed. Amused, Sam reached over and scratched his back.

"You're so silly," she cooed, before shoving him gently aside in able to pick up the letter. She was about to place it on top of the stack inside the shoe box when the word _Jake _caught her eye. Feeling her breath hitch, Sam lifted it closer to her face and peered down, surprised at what she had found. Or rather, what Cougar had found.

It was the letter she had written to Jake six years ago, the day after she had left for college. And in it was every heart-felt, tender, pain-staking word that Sam had conjured all those years ago when she had felt like the world had taken a turn for the worst, despite her joy in being in a totally different place and her eagerness to take on whole new experiences.

Sam inhaled a deep, shaky breath, curious as to why she felt so nervous all of a sudden. There was absolutely no reason for her to feel nervous. Unless…

Unless she started thinking about giving it to Jake to read.

_Should I? _Sam thought, knowing full well why she hadn't sent it to him in the first place.

When she had first written it, she hadn't been thinking about sending it to Jake at all – instead she had been concentrating on her own feelings, having at the time been in a desperate urge to get them out. The precious words that she had poured out with her heart, mind, and soul had been considered more like a journal rather than a simple letter to Jake.

And so now it made her think…should she really let Jake read it, her very own 'personal' journal?

Sam bit down hard on her lip, contemplating this, when she heard a gentle rap come from her bedroom door.

Startled, Sam sat up straighter on her bed before glancing down frantically at the letter she held in her hand. Not certain as to what to do with it, she stared at it blankly for a moment before shoving it underneath her pillow.

The knock came again, at which Sam answered in a high, overly-cheerful tone, "Come in!"

The door opened and Sam's breath immediately caught in her throat. Her cheeks flushed with pleasure, and she smiled.

"Er, hi Jake," she greeted him, wondering if he could hear her pounding heart beat from all the way across the room. "What's up?"

Jake grinned and sauntered over, glancing casually around the room for a moment before taking a seat beside her on the bed. "Nothing much, just thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing," he replied, blinking expectantly at her.

"Oh, I uh…I'm doing fine. I still feel a bit weak, but I think my strength is coming back. Slowly but surely."

Sam's heart was interrupted from its ceaseless pounding when Jake lifted his right hand and brushed his thumb across her cheek, causing it to skip several beats before resuming its pounding. Her eyes met his and she felt like he was staring straight through her soul, and she knew then even before he started leaning forward what he was about to do.

The moment his lips touched hers, Sam's whole world froze and then spun wildly out of control. The bed fell out from under her and the only thing she could really, _truly _feel was his warm, lingering lips as they caressed her mouth, pressing harder only in the next moment to turn soft, transferring all sorts of emotions in her that Sam had never once felt before.

It was the sweetest, most tender kiss Sam had ever experienced in all her life.

When he broke away only just a couple moments later, she was closely on the verge of tears. Jake seemed to sense her sudden change of mood, because with a concerned frown he took her hand and murmured softly, "What's wrong?"

Sam shook her head quickly, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. "Nothing. Nothing at all. In fact, it's just the opposite. Oh, Jake…you can't even imagine how happy you're making me feel."

Jake's lips turned up into a smile, and he placed a sweet, gentle kiss on the palm of her hand. "I think I can guess," he drawled, and with a mischievous gleam in his dark, mustang eyes, he leaned forward for another kiss.

Sam held up her hand and placed it on his chest. "Wait," she murmured, her heart beat speeding up a couple of notches. "I want you to read something."

Turning away to avoid seeing Jake's quizzical gaze, Sam reached down underneath the pillow and pulled out the old, crinkled up letter. _I can't believe I'm doing this, _she thought, inhaling sharply. She was just about to give away her deepest, darkest secrets, and the scariest part of it all was the fact that the one man who she loved most in the world was moments away from reading it. She had to be crazy.

_Crazy in love, _Sam thought with a small, timid smile, before placing the letter in Jake's waiting hands.

"It's a letter," Sam murmured after noticing Jake's puzzled expression. "I wrote it six years ago, the night after I left. I wrote it to you, but after writing it I felt better and…and I never felt the need to send it. I have a couple more too, I think, but I'm not exactly sure where they are. I'll leave you alone to read it."

Standing up from the bed, Sam quietly left the room, glancing back only once to see Jake starting to read it. She closed the door, her heart taking on the speed of a race horse, before leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. She began reading the words from the letter inside her mind, having memorized each and every single one, and knowing that somehow, deep down, Jake was memorizing them, too.

_Dear Jake,_

_There are probably a million ways I could think of to start this letter, but to make it easy I'll just state the first thing that comes to mind. I love you. I guess it's safe to say that I've loved you every since we were little kids. I'm sitting here laughing over this because I remember how the day we met I thought you were the most obnoxious guy on earth. I remember how much I would hate you for giving me the nickname 'Brat', and how much I would wish you would just fall into a pile of horse manure. You always had the uncanny ability to make me scream and yet even then you've always known how to make me smile. That's one of the many things I've come to love about you Jake, other than your incorrigible stubbornness, fierce protection, and subtle affection. I've come to realize that through it all, I've never known anybody quite like you._

_You've given me so much, and I'm sitting here hating myself because I never got the chance to tell you that. I never got the chance to just look into your beautiful eyes (yes, your eyes are beautiful and don't you try to deny it) and tell you just how much you mean to me. Because you do, Jake. You mean more to me than you will ever, ever know. The night that you told me you loved me my heart literally broke into a million pieces. Not because I wasn't happy that you said it, but because I knew that what I was just about to say would only break your heart in return. And what do you know? It did. And more than anything, I wish I could have done something – said something, that would have made it all better. But the truth is Jake, I wasn't strong enough._

_I doubt there really is a person strong enough to get rid of this ugly thing called heart break. And believe me, I'm feeling it now. Not because of you, but because of myself. When I think about what I've done, my regret isn't attending college in Montana and seeking out new things – it's leaving you behind. I can only hope that in time you will come to understand my decision in leaving Nevada – in leaving you. Because what hurts the most is knowing that you might never forgive me for doing what I know in my heart is the best choice. And even if you don't, I'd still love you. I'll keep on loving you, no matter how many mountains or oceans I cross._

_I would trade anything to give away all the words that I have saved in my heart. But even more than that, I would give anything to hear you say that you love me. _

_If only for just one last time._

_Sam_

She didn't hear the door open from beside her, nor did she hear the soft footsteps of someone stopping to stand in front of her. What she did notice, however, was the sound of short, labored breathing, and with a start she opened her eyes.

At the same exact moment Jake fell into her arms, loud, heart-wrenching sobs escaping his throat. He wrapped his arms around Sam and pulled her close, and as his lips brushed against her ear she heard the three precious words that she had been waiting for six long years to hear the most.

"I forgive you, Sam…_I forgive you._"

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**So I want to thank Sokanon, one of my loyal readers, for giving me the idea about the letters - I have to say it really improved my story! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Not sure how long it will take me to write up the next chapter, but I promise I'll get to it as soon as I can. Till then, reviews are love. =)**

**~Mystic  
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	9. Chapter 9: The Phantom's Challenge

**Hey guys! I want to apologize to everyone for having taken so long to get this chapter out…I have been really busy with my summer and getting ready for vacation bible school this week (I had to memorize six songs and scripts) and it starts today, so wish me luck! Anyways, this chapter isn't super long so I apologize in advance, but I promise that my next one will be twice as long! Love you guys, and thanks for being so patient. =)**

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_Chapter Nine_

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

**Harriet Beecher Stowe**

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"Finally!"

A week had passed and at last Samantha's body was back to normal. Well, as normal as it could get anyway. She was literally doing cart wheels across the yard towards the barn, not caring if anyone happened to be watching. Today was _her _day. She was going to do whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted, and that mainly included taking Ace out on a long, pleasant trail ride to make up for the days lost.

And this time, she w_as _going to watch where she was going.

Humming happily as she strolled into the barn, Sam quickly grabbed Ace's things and scurried over to his stall, smiling when he picked his head up and gave her a nice long whinny in greeting.

It took her less than her usual five minutes to tack him up, and once that was done Sam led him out of the barn and into the warm, afternoon sunshine. She breathed in the hot desert air and then let out a long sigh of utter contentment.

"You ready for a good ride, Ace?" Sam asked her horse, patting him affectionately on the shoulder before hoisting herself up on the saddle and slipping her feet into the stirrups. Ace let loose a deep, charming nicker in response and in turn Sam grinned, taking this as a sign that he was, in fact, ready.

"All right then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Picking up the reins, Sam clicked her tongue and soon they were off, heading towards the direction of the sun. It was a beautiful day without a single cloud in the sky, and there was even a slight breeze coming from the north. Lifting her head, Sam closed her eyes briefly and let the harmonic movements of her and the horse soothe her, loving nothing more than the way horse and rider moved together, creating a smooth, perfect rhythm. That feeling never grew old, and for Sam it was like coming home.

_I'll never grow tired of this, _Sam thought, opening her eyes again to survey the vast, gorgeous landscape. She wanted to spend the rest of her life here; with her family, with the horses – with Jake.

Sam's eyes widened as that last thought popped into her mind, causing an inexplicable excitement to build up inside her chest.

"With Jake," she murmured softly to herself, surprised at how confident she sounded. She knew she loved Jake, but to want to spend the rest of her life with him? It made her wonder if she was going just a little bit too far. Spending the rest of her life with him meant commitment and not only that, but _trust. _And trust was already such a hard thing to come by, especially when you weren't certain that the person you needed to trust even trusted you back.

So how was she to know?

And most importantly, how was she even supposed to find out?

Shaking these troublesome thoughts to the back of her mind for the time being, Sam sighed and sped Ace up to a slow, steady canter. They rode like that for several minutes until Sam caught sight of something interesting off in the distance. Pursing her lips into a frown, Sam slowed Ace down to a walk and lifted her hand over her eyes to shield her curious gaze from the sun as she tried to make out what it was.

A sudden gasp escaped her throat as she realized what it was. Two horses, facing off. Both had their ears pinned back against their head, and they were circling each other, tails lashing and their powerful hooves scraping hard against the dirt. A shudder ran through her as she recognized the marked dance between the two stallions – this would be a fight to the death.

Wanting to get a closer look, Sam clicked her tongue softly and Ace trotted forward, ears flicking nervously as they headed towards the direction of the two wild stallions. She kept her hands firmly clenched around the reins and her feelings calm, not wanting to give Ace any reason to back off. The last thing she needed was for Ace to go crazy and run straight into the fight. It made Sam's stomach churn just thinking about it.

Once Sam was close enough while making sure that she wasn't _too _close, she leaned down lower in her saddle and peered between Ace's ears at the unfolding scene. As she gazed more closely at the horses, she was able to notice for the first time what they truly looked like. One was a large buckskin, with a mean scar running down the front of his left leg, and the other one appeared to look almost exactly like…

Sam nearly let out a scream but managed to stop it before she could, her right hand flying over her mouth as a strangled cry escaped her lips.

It was the Phantom!

Fear coursed through her like never before, and for a moment Sam could barely breathe.

_This can't be happening, _she thought frantically, followed by, _I just knew this was going to happen!_

The poor Phantom was being challenged by a younger, stronger stallion, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

…but watch.

The buckskin reared up on his hind legs and let out a high, fierce whinny, before stomping his hooves back down and creating a thick cloud of dust. The Phantom tossed his head in the air and bucked, letting the other stallion know that he wasn't going to back down.

His opponent snorted and with a joust for superiority, dared to learn forward and nip him non-too-gently on the shoulder. The Phantom bared his lips back and whinnied in rage, before charging forward and knocking the buckskin back roughly with his head.

Sam could almost imagine him saying, '_You, the next leader of MY herd? I don't think so, buddy!'_

She held her breath as the buckskin reared up and lashed out with his hooves, striking the Phantom hard against his shoulder blade. The Phantom let out a very low-sounding growl from the depths of his throat, his neck arching to nip savagely at the buckskin's back, almost as if telling him, '_last chance!'_

But the buckskin was fierce and out of control. He gave a loud, horrible scream before launching himself at the Phantom full-force, using his large body perfectly to his advantage. The Phantom stumbled sideways, momentarily losing his balance.

It gave the buckskin just enough time to perform his second attack. Rearing up, he slashed at The Phantom's side with his hooves, immediately spilling blood.

Sam's eyes widened and her hand flung instantly to her throat.

_No! _She screamed in her head, frozen in fear as she listened to her poor stallion scream its angry protests before whipping around and charging straight towards the buckskin. Hope flared within her, and she clenched her fingers tighter around the reins, mentally egging him on.

_Come on, Blackie, you can do this! I know you can._

Sensing his owner's excitement, Ace nickered and swiveled his head around, ears flicking intently to the side. But Sam wasn't paying attention – her eyes were fixed solidly on the fight, almost as if they were glued there. After a moment Ace gave up trying to get her attention and instead began immersing himself in the short stubby grass that poked out between a pile of rocks.

Sam watched the two stallions fight for five long, heart-throbbing minutes, blood trickling down from the cuts and gashes that marked their injuries. For a moment it seemed as if the buckskin had finally decided to back off, causing Sam to let out a soft sigh of relief.

When the buckskin whipped around and lashed out once more with his hooves, catching the Phantom off guard, Sam nearly fell off Ace in shock. How long could this possibly go on?

She soon got her answer when the Phantom, physically exhausted and clearly in no shape to carry on, collapsed upon the ground on his blood-scraped knees, the dust rising in a cloud around his body.

_Oh God, _Sam thought, tears prickling at the back of her eyes. The buckskin was just too young, too strong…and now he would become the new leader of the Phantom's herd.

_Come on Blackie, get back up! You have to get back up and show him whose boss! _

But deep down, she knew that it was hopeless.

Sam watched helplessly as the buckskin reared up again, hooves flashing in the sunlight, and let out a high-pitched, piercing whinny. It was then that Sam realized what he intended to do…

"_No!" _Sam screamed, causing Ace's head to jerk up. Heart racing rampantly inside her chest, Sam forced Ace into a run.

Straight towards the Phantom and the stallion.

"_Get away from him!" _Sam exclaimed at the top of her lungs, waving her one arm frantically above her head in hopes that she'd get the buckskin's attention.

Success. The buckskin was distracted enough by the noise to turn his head and plant his deadly hooves back on the ground – away from the Phantom.

Knowing what she needed to do, _had _to do, in able to save the Phantom, Sam pushed Ace onward into a full-speed gallop, leaning forward with her hands clenched tightly around Ace's thick black mane – the reins laying forgotten around the saddle's horn. They were gaining ground, very nearly approaching them now. Sam could see Blackie trying to get up only to fall back down, failing miserably in his weak attempt.

Angry at the buckskin and at herself for not interfering sooner, Sam lifted her head and let out a loud, fierce battle cry, startling the buckskin and causing him to back up a step, ears flicking to the side uncertainly as the horse and rider drew closer.

_That's it, _Sam thought, lips forming into a determined line. Her long, auburn hair whipped around her face, giving her the exact appearance of a raging warrior goddess. As she closed in on the buckskin, Sam raised her arm again and shouted, screamed, hollered – did anything and everything to get the stallion away from the Phantom.

Ace, quite eagerly getting into the action, did the same by rearing up on his high legs and letting out an ear-splitting whinny as if daring the stallion to challenge his owner. The buckskin, clearly freaked out by this whole shenanigan, whipped around and bolted away, his long black tail trailing like a stream from behind him.

"Yes!" Grinning in triumph, Sam leaned over to talk to Ace. "Good job boy," she praised, calming him down by gently rubbing the palm of her hand over his neck. "You deserve a big old juicy carrot for when we get home."

Turning him around, Sam's heart fell when she saw the Phantom lying, defeated, on the ground. He was still alive – she could tell by the gentle rise and fall of his side, but she could see by the harsh flaring of his nostrils that each breath was an effort. Biting down hard on her bottom lip, Sam slid off Ace and walked slowly over to him, her whole arm trembling as she leaned down beside him and laid her hand gently on his head, the other on the deep gash on his shoulder.

"Oh, Zanzibar," Sam whispered, a fresh set of tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping down her chin. "I'm so sorry this happened to you…this just isn't fair. I wish…I wish…"

_I wish you weren't old? _Sam thought to herself, and she began to sob. Flinging her arms around Zanzibar's neck, she buried her head into his beautiful silver mane and cried her eyes out, right there on the bloody desert floor.

She didn't know how long she stayed there, but when she finally managed to snap out of it she stood up and wiped away the tears with her shirt sleeve. She glanced back down at the Phantom who just continued to lie there, and she knew that if she didn't get help for him soon he would surely die.

_I have to get him back to the ranch, _Sam thought, but how would she be able to manage that?

One word – well, more specifically, one _name _came immediately to mind as she pondered this.

_Jake, _she thought, and with a quick shake of her head she whipped around and hoisted herself back up on the saddle, causing Ace to let out a soft snort.

"We have to go back and get some help Ace," Sam told him, glancing down at the Phantom with fear clawing at her heart. _Before it's too late…_

Gathering up all of the strength that she had left, Sam murmured softly to the beautiful gray stallion, "I'll be back for you, Zanzibar. Promise me you'll hang in there."

Soon Sam and Ace were tearing across the Nevada desert, hooves pounding furiously against the sand as they made their way back to the ranch. It took longer than Sam had thought to get back, but it was mostly her fear speaking and telling her that if they weren't back soon, something could go seriously wrong.

No matter what, she was _not _going to allow that to happen.

Once they had approached the barn, Sam leaped off Ace and shouted, "Jake! Jake!"

She almost fainted with relief when she saw him coming out of the barn, a look of concern spreading across his tanned, handsome face.

"Sam, is that you? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Jake, you have to come! Quick! It's…it's the Phantom. Another stallion challenged him to a fight and now he's hurt…_really _hurt. He can't get up. Please, you have to come with me! We need to bring him back to the ranch and help him…" Trailing off, Sam stared desperately at Jake, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

Knowing how much the Phantom meant to Sam, and wanting to do anything he could to make her happy, Jake gave Sam one brief, heart-filled look before nodding his head once and murmuring, "All right, Sam. Let's go and get your Phantom."

As he went off to fetch Witch, Sam climbed back on Ace and gazed off into the distance, every moment feeling as if her heart was breaking.

_Hang on please, Zanzibar, _she thought, closing her eyes and inhaling a deep, shaky breath.

_We're coming. _

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**Review please and I'll give you cookies and a smile. =)**_  
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	10. Chapter 10: You and Only You

**Yay! Another chapter! *does a little dance* Now let me see you do it!**

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_Chapter Ten_

"Our passion is our strength."

**Billie Joe Armstrong**

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"Do you think he'll be okay?" Sam asked anxiously, gazing worriedly down at the Phantom over Jake's shoulder. Thankfully they had managed to get him into one of the stalls, mainly due to the fact that Sam was there, brushing her hand reassuringly across his neck and murmuring soothing words into his ear. Despite the Phantom's many cuts and one major wound on his shoulder, Sam was grateful that they had managed to get him safe and sound inside the barn, where she would tend to him until he was completely healed.

"How many more times are you going to ask me that, Brat?" Jake questioned her seriously, but with a teasing gleam in his eyes. Standing up from his previous knee-sitting position, Jake took a hold of Sam's hand and squeezed it gently. "He's hurt real bad now, but once we get a vet in to fix him up a bit he'll be good as new in no time. He'll just need time to heal, that's all."

Sam let out a deep, heavy sigh. "He's old, Jake. It'll take him much longer to heal than it would if he was still…" she trailed off, hesitant to say the word _young. _Tears formed in the back of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, fearful that Jake might see.

Amazingly, Jake seemed to know what she was thinking, because with a frown he lifted her chin lightly with his index finger and murmured, "You can't expect him to live forever, Sam. Even if he does heal from this, which eventually he _will, _someday you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that he'll never come back. It's just the way it has to be."

Sam's eyes flashed, and as she took a step back she could feel the first set of tears start to roll down her cheeks. "You don't think I know that?" she snapped, hating herself for yelling at Jake, for allowing her emotions to whirl out of control. "You don't think I know that I won't have him forever and ever? I'm not _naïve, _Jake. I mean, look at me! It's _because _I know that that I'm falling apart like this!"

Jake stood there staring calmly at her as she spoke, heart-wrenching sobs escaping her throat as she poured out her heart to him, knowing that all she needed right at that moment was for him to listen. Just listen.

And that was exactly what he did.

"It wasn't just you that I regret leaving six years ago, Jake. I regret leaving the Phantom, too. Because now that I'm back, I've realized how much time I've wasted – not only with you, but with _him. _And I've wondered, how many times had he come by the ranch, only to wait and wait and wait and find out only that I've abandoned him? It's just so awful to think about, and it's been killing me, Jake, because I know that I'll _never _get those years back. Not for me, not for you, and not…not for him."

When Jake was certain that she was finished, he closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her trembling figure, his head falling down to rest softly on top of hers.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, meaning it from the very depths of his heart. "I'm sorry, Sam. I wish there was some way I could build a time machine and we could go back, or just stop time completely and make up for all that was lost. But you shouldn't let these regrets rule your life, Sam. It's best to just let them go."

"I can't," was her muffled reply.

"Yes, you can," Jake said, taking each of her shoulders in a firm, yet gentle grip, and pulling her back just slightly so he could stare directly into her face. "You can," he repeated, "and you will."

After a long, silent moment, Sam lifted her gaze uncertainly to his face and whispered softly, "How?"

"First, by accepting the fact that there are some things in your life that you can never change, your decision to move to Montana being one of them," Jake murmured, brushing a tear from her eye, "And next…by forgiving yourself."

Sam's eyes filled up again, but this time she sucked in a deep breath and managed to keep them from falling. "Okay," she said at last, a small smile crossing her lips. "I'll try."

Jake smiled back and tugged affectionately at a strand of her hair. "Good. Now why don't we go and call that vet?"

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Long after the vet had come and gone, Sam sat beside Blackie inside the stall, running her hands lovingly through his silky mane and humming softly to him a slow, sweet lullaby. Jake had gone to tend to some of the other horses, leaving Sam and the Phantom to their privacy.

"I know you don't understand why I left," Sam murmured to him after some time, a gentle sigh escaping her lips. "How could I ever expect you to? I wish there was some way I could tell you, even some way I could _show _you. You deserve that, at least."

The Phantom's ears flicked to the side and Sam smiled, knowing that he was listening.

"I love you, Blackie." _My sweet, sweet Zanzibar. _"I always have. You do know that, don't you?" Bending down, Sam brushed her lips against his muzzle in a soft, affectionate kiss.

"You'll always hold a special place in my heart, young or old. Never forget that, okay?" Sam whispered, and she heard Blackie blow out a soft snort, as if saying, '_Me, forget? Ridiculous!'_

"He won't."

Sam jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Jake's voice from right behind her. She turned around to gaze up at him, and found that he was staring down at the Phantom, a thoughtful expression clouding his face.

"From day one, you've always adored him. Even when he became a stallion, you followed him around whenever you got the chance." Jake cracked a small, humorous smile. "Use to scare the hell out of me and Wyatt whenever you did that. We never could keep you away from him, no matter how hard we tried. You were just too stubborn."

Sam smiled at that but kept quiet, knowing that he had yet to finish.

"I always thought you were crazy, mooning over a stallion – any stallion. Back then I thought they cared more about their freedom and their herd rather than some human being." _Like me, _Sam thought, and she was grateful he didn't say it. "But then, when you left, I saw the Phantom standing near the river one night, just staring out at your window."

Sam's breath caught in her throat, and her hands clenched tighter around Blackie's mane, listening intently as Jake continued to speak.

"At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but when he continued to do it over the years that you were gone, once every two months at least, I began to realize just how much you mean to him…and how much he truly loves you. He's your heart Sam…and you're his," he whispered softly, and with a pained expression on his face he turned around and left her to sit there in wide, stunned silence.

It didn't take Sam long to realize what Jake had been getting at. Leaping up from her position beside Blackie, she bolted out of the stall and ran after him, her heart feeling like it was about to pop right out of her chest.

She saw him then, leaning on one of the fences while gazing out at the horses grazing peacefully inside the paddocks. Pressing her lips into a hard, determined line, Sam marched right on over to him and grabbed his arm, snatching him around in one quick movement before flinging her arms around his neck and giving him a long, hot, passionate kiss.

He stood still for a moment, quite obviously shocked by the unexpected attack, before eventually giving in; pulling her closer against him at the same time he pressed his lips hard against hers, his one hand lifting to clench his fingers around her hair.

Sam drew back after a couple long, heated moments in able to stare up and into his eyes, her serious gaze locking onto his face as she said, and _very _firmly,

"_You _are my heart, Jake Ely. You and _only _you."

Jake lifted an eyebrow skeptically, murmuring, "And the Phantom?"

Sam was shaking her head even before he had spoken, "I love Blackie, he holds a very special place in my heart and always will. But Jake, _you _are what's most important to me. If you can't see that, I surely have the right to smack you upside the head."

Jake blinked, and then slowly showed her that lazy, tomcat grin she very well knew and loved. "Whatever you say, Brat," he murmured, before lowering his head and once more caressing his mouth against hers.

She sighed and leaned against him, reveling in the way he made her feel.

Alive. Loved. And most importantly…_free. _

With him, more than anything, she felt free.

Freer than that day when she was riding in her car towards Montana, the windows rolled down and nothing but a long, empty strip of road ahead - ready as ever to start her new life.

Freer than that day when she was riding Ace after finding out about Ezzy, the wind whipping through her hair and against all sides of her face.

And what surprised her most was that she felt even freer than whenever she rode on the back of the Phantom, their bodies moving as one out on the wide, open range.

That was how Sam knew she loved Jake – not just with a piece of her heart, but her _whole _heart.

And so like _hell w_as she about to let him be jealous over her and the Phantom's relationship. Just the thought of him getting jealous over a horse made her want to laugh, not only because it was insanely ridiculous, but because it was just so _Jake. _

"What are you smiling about?" Jake whispered against her ear, immediately snapping her out of her thoughts.

She glanced over at him and grinned.

"You," she said simply.

"Me?"

"Yes, _you. _You haven't changed one bit, have you?"

"What are you talking about, exactly?"

"You," Sam repeated, her grin widening.

Jake narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I think I've pretty much established that part. But what _about _me?"

"Your nose."

Now he simply looked confused. "Huh?"

Giggling, Sam danced away from his embrace and began heading back towards the house. "Oh, nothing," she said in a high, sing-song voice, knowing that it would irritate him.

It did.

"Brat," he said in a low warning tone. "Don't make me do it."

Sam stopped in her tracks and gave him a puzzled look. "Do what?" she questioned cautiously.

"Just tell me what you meant and there won't be any need for you to know," Jake conspired, letting loose a devilish grin.

"No fair!" Sam exclaimed, crossing her arms and sticking her tongue out at him. Realizing instantly what she had done, her eyes widened and she slapped both her hands over her mouth in horror.

Jake shook his head and laughed. "_Now _you decide to act fourteen. Jeez Brat, don't start gettin' me all confused."

Sam glared at him playfully. "Oh don't you dare start with me, Jake Ely! I _do _know your mama, you know."

Violently he stumbled back a couple of steps, flinging one hand over his chest as he exclaimed in mock panic, "You-you wouldn't!"

"Watch me," Sam said with a smirk.

Jake sighed. "Well then, I guess that gives me no choice."

Sam raised an eyebrow, but before she could react, let alone respond, Jake had her in his arms and was marching right over to the fence. She gasped, shaking her hair out of her face, and wondered to herself what he was going to do.

And then she saw it.

The water trough at the front of the paddock.

Sam let out a squeal and jerked wildly in Jake's fierce, unyielding embrace.

"Don't you _dare _do it Jake Ely! I swear I will _tell your mama on you!" _

When that didn't faze him and he continued to walk towards the trough, Sam's heart began to pound and she continued to cry out desperately.

"Help! Someone help! _Please!_"

When nobody heard her urgent pleas to be rescued and they were about nearing the trough, Sam knew that she was going to get it.

And get it she did.

Jake plunked her down right inside that trough and watched her as she resurfaced, sputtering and coughing. Grinning, he crossed his arms and said, "_Now _will you tell me just what you meant back there, or am I going to have to dunk you in a pile of horse manure too?"

Sam gasped. "You wouldn't!"

"Watch-"

Before the handsome, arrogant cowboy had a chance to finish, his head had somehow, some way, hit the water, and the front of his whole shirt was thoroughly soaked to the skin.

Lifting his head from the trough, Jake took off his cowboy hat and spit out a mouthful of water, scowling at Sam and staring at her in a way that looked like he was half irritated and half amused.

"Oh man, that was _priceless! _Can I do it again?" Sam questioned hopefully, very nearly bouncing in the trough.

Jake growled and, reaching out, scooped her up in his arms, not minding at all the cold drenching water that ran down his arms and dripped down his pants.

"You, Sam Forster, are one hell of a woman," Jake confirmed, beginning to carry her towards the direction of the house.

Sam, who couldn't seem to stop laughing, said between guffaws, "W-where are we g-going?"

"To see Wyatt," Jake answered, staring straight ahead.

"To do w-what?" Sam asked in the midst of her hysteria.

Jake continued to stare right on ahead. "I reckon it's about time I ask his permission about something."

Finally Sam was able to catch her breath in able to look up at him and say, "Permission on what, exactly?'

That was the moment Jake stopped, as did Sam's heart.

Because what he said next, just as he lowered his head and met her widening gaze with his deep, mustang, _'I-love-you-more-than-anything,_ eyes, was enough to freeze her heart right in its place.

"You."

* * *

**OMG! OMG! OMG! **

**WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?**

**Yep, you know exactly what that means!**

**Now review so you can tell me!  
**

**...or else it's the water trough for you! *evil cackle***

**Your favorite, most awesome author (hehehe jk)  
**

**~Mystic  
**


	11. Chapter 11: Till the End of This Earth

**I'm back! Yay! So sorry for the extremely long wait...I bet some of you guys have probably forgotten about this story, huh? Well, I wouldn't blame you, it's been a while. I'm really sorry, but that's what happens when college gets in the way. But now that it's winter break I have a whole month to finish this story! Hoorah! And I promise you I WILL finish it. Now, onto chapter eleven...it's a bit short, but I need time to reorganize my thoughts on this story and figure out where I'm going. Next chapter will be longer, and don't worry, I'll be updating much sooner than last time. Enjoy the chapter! =D**

* * *

_Chapter Eleven_

"You're the best thing that's ever been mine."

**Taylor Swift**

* * *

"What do you mean, _engaged?_"

Jake squeezed Sam's hand from underneath the table they were both sitting at, glancing up at Wyatt who was trying his very best not to spontaneously combust due to the extreme amount of shock that had transpired in a matter of seconds after hearing the couple's unexpected declaration.

"I am asking for your permission to marry your daughter," Jake replied, seeming entirely unfazed by Wyatt's reaction, "If that's alright with you, sir."

"Alright?" Wyatt repeated, his eyes widening and his mouth opening as if he were about to let lose a long line of profanities – instead, he broke out into a mile-wide grin and exclaimed, "Of course it's _alright! _It's about time, if I do say so myself."

Sam lifted her head and blinked at her father in confusion. "Wait…what are you talking about? You _knew _this was going to happen?"

"Well of course I didn't _know. _No one can predict the future, Samantha. But it was pretty obvious by the way you two have been acting that it would happen eventually."

"We acted like we hated each other," Sam said with even more confusion in her tone than before.

Wyatt smiled at his daughter. "We all knew that you didn't. Heck, you two have been best friends ever since you first moved here. Several years away from each other would never have changed the relationship you two had forged. It just took a little bit of time for you two to realize that your love for each other was still there, all along."

Sam felt tears start to build up in the back of her eyes. She met Jake's eyes with her own and offered him a small, loving grin.

"So does that mean we have your blessing?" Jake questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Stepping forward, Wyatt placed a hand on Jake's shoulder, looked down on him and said, "I've always treated you like you were one of us – you marrying Sam will only confirm that fact. You're already a part of our family…you don't need my permission, and yet I will stand here today and give it to you, trusting that you will take care of our Sam."

Sam stood up from the chair to hug her father's neck. "Thank you," she whispered, her face positively glowing with happiness. "I knew you'd say yes!"

Gram chuckled softly from behind them. "Took you two long enough," she teased lovingly, her eyes glowing with affection.

"I've got to tell Jen!" Sam exclaimed, jumping up from the table and then turning around to glance back at Jake. "Are you coming?"

"Sure. But first…"

Trailing off, Jake stood up from the chair then got down on one knee and took Sam's hand. "I want to do this the right way."

Sam's eyes widened as Jake reached with his other hand and took out a small black velvet box from his back pocket. She literally felt like her heart was about to explode when he began to speak, gazing up at her with the most passionate, enamored expression on his face.

"Samantha Forster, from the moment you stuck your tongue out at me when we were kids after I first called you a brat you've stolen my heart. No other girl has made me angrier or crazier and has ever been capable of making me feel so much frustration and aggravation than you have."

Sam raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly in amusement.

"But most importantly, no other girl has made me happier, a better person, made me feel more blessed and full of life than you have. And for that I'll always be grateful. So, with that said…"

Sam's breath hitched as he opened the box with a single flick of his thumb, revealing a stunning blue carat diamond ring, the tiny stone glinting profusely in the sunlight which filtered through the window.

"Oh…my…"

"Samantha Forster, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Jake murmured, staring deep into her wide, tear-filled eyes. His hand that was still holding hers shook slightly as he patiently waited for her response, and fortunately for him he didn't have to wait long.

"Yes," Sam whispered, letting out a soft, tearful laugh. "Yes, _yes! _Of course, Jake Ely, I'll marry you. I'll follow you till the end of this earth, and don't you forget it."

Gram and Brynna let out a joyful cry of delight at the same moment Sam flung herself into Jake's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Grinning handsomely, Jake stood up and swung her around, Sam's feet nearly knocking Wyatt straight across the face.

"Hey now!" Wyatt warned, but couldn't help grinning himself as the newly engaged couple continued to dance around the kitchen, immersed in each other's love and triumphant happiness. It was most certainly a day that they would never forget.

In the very midst of all the noise, Wyatt heard the phone ring. Tearing his gaze away from Jake and Samantha, he walked over to the phone and picked it up.

"Forster residence, this is Wyatt speaking."

After a minute of listening to the voice speak on the other line, Wyatt's smile turned into a deep, troubled frown. Noticing her husband's grave expression, she walked over to stand beside him, curiously watching his face as he began to respond.

"I understand. I'll get a couple of my boys to ride over there and check it out. If it's serious, we'll do the best we can to mend the situation. Yes, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for letting us know. You have a good night…thanks. Bye."

"What is it?" Brynna questioned anxiously, almost immediately after he'd hung up the phone.

Letting out a sigh, Wyatt turned towards her and murmured softly, careful that Sam wouldn't hear, "It's one of the Phantom's mares. She's in danger. Somehow she had broken away from the herd and not too soon after a lion had gotten a hold of her. She's badly injured…and lucky to still be alive."

Brynna pursed her lips in a frown. "That's odd. Usually a mare wouldn't break away from the herd, unless…"

Wyatt stared at her, and then suddenly he let out a groan when he realized what Brynna had been thinking.

"You don't think she's…?"

"That's exactly what I think," Brynna said anxiously, running her hand through her hair. "She's pregnant."

"Who's pregnant?" Sam piped up from behind them, tilting her head slightly to gaze at them in a questionable manner. Jake strode up to stand next to his fiancé, his eyes suddenly turning wary after having picked up on the tension.

"Er, Sam, I don't think now is the time to-"

"Dad," Sam stated firmly, crossing her arms and giving her father a long, stern look. "Tell me."

Sighing, Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as if to relieve some of the pressure, before saying slowly, "One of the Phantom's mares is pregnant."

Sam's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Oh, that's _wonderful!_"

"We're not certain it'll survive though. Not after…" Wyatt stopped and grimaced.

"Not after what?" Sam demanded, stepping forward. She glanced over at Brynna and raised an eyebrow. "What is it? What happened?"

"A mountain lion got her, sweetie," Brynna murmured, reaching out to gently touch Sam's arm. "She's severely harmed. She's lost a lot of blood and-"

"What are we all standing around here then?" Sam exclaimed, whipping around to face Jake. "Come on! We've got to go to her."

"Now Sam," Jake said patiently, putting a hand on her shoulder and fixing her with a calm, steady gaze. "Why don't you let the ranch hands take care of this? I'm sure they'll be able to handle it. Didn't you want to tell Jen the good news?"

"That can wait. I _have _to go Jake. This is the _Phantom's _mare we're talking about." _And his foal! _Sam thought, clenching her hands into fists. _I must save them…I WILL save them. _

Jake sighed, staring at her for a moment longer before nodding his head in understanding. "Okay. Let's do it."

Lifting her head, Sam kissed him softly on the lips, whispering a grateful 'thank-you' before spinning around to ask Wyatt and Brynna, "Are you guys coming?"

"Of course," Brynna replied before Wyatt had a chance to answer. "We'd love to help you save the Phantom's mare."

"Right," Sam said, and with a face set with hard determination, she grabbed Jake's hand and headed towards the door.

"Let's go."

* * *

**So, whadd'ya think? Let me know with a review! **

**~Mystic**

**P.S.: I have a picture of Sam's engagement ring on the bottom of my profile if you wanna check it out. :)**


	12. Chapter 12: The Chance Worth Taking

**Oh wow, I got a lot more reviews than I expected after such a long update. Thanks all of you who have stuck with me! You guys are awesome and I heart you. =)**

**Next chapter up!**

* * *

_Chapter Twelve_

"Some chances are worth taking."

**Unknown**

* * *

"Sam, watch out for that hole!"

Glancing down at the ground, Sam caught sight of the slight dip in the ground on the left and heeding her father's warning pulled the reins over to the right to avoid Ace stumbling into it.

_Jeez, that's the third one since we've left the ranch. _

Were they even on the right path? Sam sure hoped Wyatt knew where they were going, she didn't feel up to getting lost again; that one time during the rain storm had been enough for a lifetime. Sam shuddered while recalling the feeling of the cold, pouring water that had cascaded down on her and Ace like a rampant, raging waterfall. Not only that, but the rain had been so thick that she had hardly seen an inch in front of her. It had most certainly _not _been a pleasant experience, nor did she care to repeat it.

"How much further, Dad?" Sam questioned, squinting through the sunlight. She raised her hand over her eyes to get a better view of her father, who was riding Strawberry, a red roan Quarter horse mare.

"Not much longer," he remarked, picking up the pace.

Sam let out a deep sigh filled with anxiety and anticipation. Jake, who was riding alongside her on his horse Witch, reached out and lightly touched her arm with his hand in a subtle, reassuring gesture.

"It's going to be okay, Sam," he murmured, "We'll save the mare and bring her back to the ranch. Given the state the Phantom was in when we rescued him, I'm sure his mare will be able to hang on just as he had. It's in their mustang blood…the need to survive. Y'know?'

"I understand Jake, but what about the foal? He might not be able to make it," Sam murmured, worry causing her lips to turn down. She knew death was a natural way of life, but this was the _Phantom's _foal they were talking about. It _deserved _to live, to have the chance to run wild on the open range, and to feel the wind as it whipped through his mane…

"Well if this is the Phantom's foal we're talking about," Jake drawled slowly, "then I'm sure it's just as strong as its papa. Don't you think?

Hope flared through her, and before Sam had a chance to respond Wyatt's voice rang out from the front.

"There she is!"

Sam's stomach did a triple flip as she caught sight of the Phantom's mare, lying on her side near Lost Canyon, blood gushing onto the ground from a deep wound near her neck. As they got closer, Sam could make out the mare's markings. She was a white and brown paint, and possessed a pure white mane and tail.

"She's beautiful," Sam breathed, her eyes softening. "Oh, Jake, there's no blood near her stomach! I think…I think the foal is going to be okay."

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves," Wyatt remarked, sharing a quick glance with Brynna. "We'll still need to look her over once we get her back to the ranch."

"And how exactly do we plan on doing that?" Brynna questioned, eyeing the mare quizzically. "We certainly won't be able to rope her, that neck wound looks way to fracturable to even attempt that."

"We'll have to walk her back," Sam commented, "If we just get her to stand up, I'll slip a halter over her head and two of us can lead her back to the ranch."

Jake snorted. "What do you think she is, a trail horse? She'll never cooperate."

"What other choice does she have?" Sam demanded. "If she doesn't cooperate, she'll die. She may be wild, but she's not stupid."

"Hey now, you two aren't married yet – you're not allowed to fight," Brynna said jokingly.

"Sam's right," Wyatt said, nodding towards his daughter. "It's the only choice we've got. I'll go and-"

"No," Sam glanced over at her father with a hard, determined look on her face. "Let me try and get the halter on her first. I'm smaller and less intimidating."

"She has a point there," Brynna commented, grinning over at Wyatt.

"Sam," Wyatt warned, "Be-"

"I know, I know. I'll be careful," Sam promised him.

Sliding off Ace, she handed the reins over to Jake and then began to walk slowly and cautiously over towards the injured mare.

The paint lifted her head just slightly, aware of Sam's presence, and let out a brief, hoarse nicker in protest. It seemed like it had taken most of the mare's energy to do this, and in noting that Sam's heart grew heavy and her stomach clenched with pain.

"It's okay, baby," Sam crooned, crouching down low as she approached the mare. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sam reached out to gently touch the mare's side which seemed to be heaving with exertion. The mare was covered with sweat, and that worried Sam. If the mare got too hot, the possibility of a heat-induced illness could be extremely concerning.

"I know you're hurt, baby," Sam murmured in a low, soothing tone. "But you're going to be okay. You just have to stand up, all right? You can do it. I know you can. Just think about your baby…do it for your baby."

Sam kept on talking to her for several long, heart-wrenching minutes, reassuring the pregnant mare that everything was going to be fine.

Finally, after what was beginning to look like a lost cause, the mare feebly began to stand up.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed, ignoring everyone's shocked gasps from behind her. "That's it! You can do it, baby. You're doing it!"

Once the mare managed to stand up, Sam glanced over and flashed a wide smile at her father, Brynna, and Jake. "See? I knew she could do it. Brynna, could you come down and help me walk her? I think she'd feel more secure with one of us on each side. And bring that halter with you."

"Will do," Brynna replied, hopping off her horse before making her way towards Sam and the mare.

Surprisingly, Sam was able to slip the halter right over the mare's head. The paint appeared to be too exhausted and in pain to start up a fight, which had been Sam's original thought.

"There we go," Sam murmured, giving a little kiss on the paint's muzzle. "I just knew you'd cooperate for me. You're so smart."

The three soon began their journey back towards the ranch,

"Don't worry," Sam whispered into the mare's ear, giving her a soft, gentle pat. "We'll be home soon, and we'll make sure to take mighty good care of you. You and your baby will be just fine."

* * *

Once they were back at the ranch, they placed the mare into one of the clean, mucked-out stalls and gave her plenty of fresh water to drink. Immediately they tended to her injury, cleaning the wound out before wrapping it neatly in a clean bandage. To keep her cool, Sam took a wet sponge filled with water and ran it over the mare's legs, neck, and belly.

"Looks like that's all we can do for her for now," Wyatt replied, taking Brynna's hand as she stepped out of the mare's stall. "Why don't we go back in the house and get dinner ready?"

"You mean, go back inside and watch the news on TV while _I _get dinner ready," Brynna corrected, smirking knowingly at her husband.

Wyatt grinned sheepishly. "Love ya, darlin'."

Sam rolled her eyes at her dad and step-mother. "Okay, well I'm going to stay here and watch her. Let me know when dinner is ready."

"Will do. Catch you later Jake. Make sure all the horses are fed before you leave," Wyatt replied, giving him a brief nod before heading out of the barn towards the house, Brynna falling in step beside him.

"Well," Sam said with a smile, leaning against the stall door to gaze affectionately at the young, beautiful mare that was currently munching on a bale of hay. "After your wound is all cleared up, you'll be as good as new. Let's just hope your foal waits until then before he decides to come into the world, huh?"

"I doubt that's gonna happen," said Jake from behind her.

Turning around, Sam glanced up at Jake's tan, handsome face, and allowed reality to sink in with a sigh. "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you. It looks like she's pretty far along...he could be due any second."

"Well, whenever that little guy decides it's ready, _we'll _be ready," Jake assured her, wrapping his arm around Sam and pulling her close.

Sam leaned against him and closed her eyes, breathing in his strong, familiar scent. Jake leaned down and brushed his warm lips against hers, caressing them gently in a a soft, loving parade. Sam's heart sped up considerably, and soon all of her cares and worries disappeared, becoming lost in him and to the world.

A powerful, high-pitched whinny caused the couple to break a part.

Stunned, Sam whipped her head around, knowing exactly where the sound had come from.

'It's Blackie," Sam explained to Jake, who appeared to be temporarily disoriented. "I think he's scented the mare."

Leaving Jake's side, Sam rushed towards the Phantom's stall. "It's okay Blackie," Sam whispered, reaching out to brush her hand gently down his forelock. "You're mare is being well taken care of. You'll see her soon. You just gotta be patient, 'kay big boy?"

The Phantom let out a defiant snort and then started to swing his head up and down, his front hoof banging hard against the stall door. Biting down on her bottom lip, Sam called over to Jake, "I think the Phantom wants to see her."

"Well he's gonna have to wait," Jake told her, walking up to the stall with his hands shoved down in the back pockets of his jeans. "It'll be too risky if we put them together."

"But he won't hurt her," Sam said confidently, glancing back over at the stallion. "I'm sure of it."

Jake opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short when the Phantom let out another long, ear-piercing whinny.

"C'mon Jake, you have to trust me." She gazed thoughtfully at Jake for a short moment before murmuring softly, "Trust _him._"

She knew that this was one of his most major issues. Not simply trust per se, but being able to trust the _one _horse that had hurt her so many years ago. It would be hard for him, she was certain of that, but there could be no other way. He would have to get over it sooner or later, and now just seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

"Sam, I don't know-"

"Jake," Sam said sternly, stepping forward and taking his hand lovingly with her own. "I know how you feel. I understand that you're still angry with him for hurting me, but Jake it's been _years. _The past is the past, and you have to learn to let it go. Just _let it go, _Jake. Look at me, I'm here right now aren't I? The Phantom has never hurt me since that day, has he? He loves me, Jake. You know that more than _anybody. _So please just, try to let it go. If not for me then at least for him. He deserves your respect."

Jake stared at the Phantom expressionless for a very long time, before slowly glancing back at Sam, who was patiently waiting for an answer.

"Okay," he said at last, squeezing her hand. "Let's do this."

Sam smiled and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Thank you," she murmured in his ear, before grabbing the halter that was hanging on the wall beside the stall and slipping it easily over the Phantom's head.

Opening the door, she led him out and towards the mare's stall.

The Phantom's ears pricked forward when he caught sight of her, but the best part in Sam's opinion was when the mare swung her head over the stall and nickered sweetly to him, their noses touching almost immediately once they approached her stall.

Grinning, Sam sneaked a peek over at Jake. "See, Jake? He's being so gentle."

"Well, I suppose you can go on and let him in then," Jake muttered, unlatching the door and opening it so that Sam could lead him in. Once they were inside, she took off his halter and gave him a solid pat on his rump.

"Atta' boy, you make her feel better," Sam told him affectionately, giving him a sloppy kiss on the nose before slipping out of the stall and letting Jake latch the door. Her heart melted when she saw the Phantom swing his head over the mare's neck and gently nip at her back.

"You were right," Jake said with a small smile, watching the two horses in amazement.

"Aren't I always?" Sam teased.

"Psh, don't get arrogant now," Jake retorted, crossing his arms.

"Says the King of Arrogance," Sam shot, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Oh, yeah?" Dark mustang eyes glinting mischievously, Jake wrapped his arms around Sam and swung her over his shoulder before slapping her hard on the butt.

"How's that for being arrogant, smart ass?" Jake drawled, grinning when Sam started to squeal.

"You know, I think I'm beginning to enjoy carrying you like this. Maybe I should do this for our wedding. You know, cowboy-style."

"Like hell, Jake Ely!"

Booming out a loud, victorious laugh, Jake put her back down and silenced her angry exclamations with a long, heated kiss.

After a moment, Sam relented and began to kiss him back. What was a girl to do, anyway?

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?" Sam muttered once they had broken a part.

"Because if I wasn't, you wouldn't love me as much," Jake admonished.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just go feed the damn horses."

Chuckling, Jake gave his fiancé one last sweet, tantalizing kiss before heading off. Shaking her head, Sam glanced back over at the stall and smiled at the sight of the Phantom and his mare nuzzling in the very back.

"Hmm...what should I call you?" Sam wondered out loud, gazing thoughtfully at the pregnant mare. "How about...Kismet?"

Kismet, which meant fate or destiny, seemed like the perfect name to resemble the beautiful young mare. It was fate that had brought her and the Phantom together, and it was destiny that she birth his foal. Excitement flooded through her - she could hardly wait to meet the foal and help bring him into the world. She just hoped with all her heart that the delivery would go as planned...safely and without any complications.

"Oh Zanzibar," Sam breathed, when she was certain no one else was around. With her eyes gazing softly at her beloved horse, she blew a kiss to him and said, "Some chances are just worth taking. And you, my dear friend, were most certainly one of them."

* * *

**And that's a wrap for this chapter, folks. What do ya think? Review and let me know, and in reward I'll give you a christmas cookie! Happy Holidays, everyone. Just five more days till Christmas! =D**

**~ Mystic**


	13. Chapter 13: Sam and The Phantom

**Hey guys, are you surprised? I bet you are! I've finally updated this story after a whole stinkin' year...far too long, am I right? Sorry to have kept you all waiting, although I have a feeling most of you have forgotten this story. But just to let ya'll know, I plan to finish this no matter how many readers are left and no matter how long it takes! So yeah, with that being said, here is the thirteenth chapter. Hope you like it, and thanks for reading! Let me know if you see any spelling mistakes, I got a brand new computer for Christmas and I haven't installed Word yet, so until I do I'll be using notepad.**_  
_

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen_

"Loving someone is setting them free, letting them go."

**- Kate Winslet**

* * *

"Are you telling me," Jen said slowly, her eyes widening considerably underneath her glasses, "that you're finally engaged to Jake Ely?'

Sam grinned and nodded her head. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Surpised?"

"Hell no," Jen snorted, causing Sam to raise an eyebrow. "It's about damn time you two got hitched."

Rolling her eyes, Sam stopped brushing Kismet long enough to turn her head in Jen's direction, a soft smile spreading across her lips. "I love him so much, Jen. It's crazy how much..." Trailing off, she continued to brush Kismet in smooth, long strokes along her side.

"More than the Phantom?" Jen teased, smirking playfully at her friend as she combed through Kismet's tangled, silver forlock.

Sam flicked Jen a warning glance, "Don't start with me." Touching her hand gently against Kismet's rump to let the horse know that she was there, she moved over to the other side and began brushing again.

"Speaking of the Phantom...how long are you going to keep him holed up in here?" Jen questioned curiously.

"As long as necessary," Sam replied, biting down softly on her bottom lip. "He's healing pretty well, but I can tell that he's getting restless. He misses his herd."

Kismet snorted lightly and whisked her tail to the side, causing Sam to smile. "Yes, I know girl, you've been helping him calm down. You're such a good girl," she crooned sweetly.

"How do you think the herd is managing with him gone?" Jen asked, kissing Kismet's fuzzy nose. "I mean, you don't think that other stallion is leading them now, do you?"

Sam narrowed her eyes, and then firmly shook her head. "No, that stallion is long gone by now. I think he got the message that he wasn't welcome here when Ace and I chased him off."

"But what if he thought he won when the Phantom went down?" Jen inquired, raising an eyebrow at Sam. "Besides, Ace isn't the leader - he has no formal status within the herd. Would it matter if he chased him off after seeing the Phantom just laying there on the ground-"

"Stop it, Jen!" Sam snapped, whipping her head around to glare at her friend. "Just stop it, okay?"

Feeling her eyes start to unexpectedly fill with tears, Sam dropped the brush on the ground and stormed out of the stall, gut-wrenching anguish and a stiffening anger flooding through her like a raging wild fire as she hurriedly left the barn.

Why did Jen have to make it seem so obvious about the Phantom's failure to defeat the stallion? Was she trying to make it harder for Sam to come to the realization that her beloved stallion was much older than he was before? Yes, it was true, he was - it was painfully easy to notice the slower, less settled gait that the great stallion now seemed to possess in his steps, even before all the damage the younger stallion had done to him. But that didn't mean that she had to face it, at least not now. Sam still wanted to imagine him as the young, formidable stallion she had known and loved...

With fresh tears streaking down both sides of her face, Sam stormed into the house, banging the screen door behind her. Cougar, who had been stretched out on the kitchen counter, sprung up instantly and stared at Sam with his ears pinned back in alarm as she fled up the stairs and into her room.

Wiping away the tears with both sleeves of her coat, Sam plopped down on the bed and curled up in a ball. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rested her head on the pillow and sobbed quietly, wishing it was six years ago and the Phantom was young again. How had time gone by so fast? It seemed like it was only yesterday when she had packed up all of her things and loaded them in her truck, waving a farewell to her family as she headed out to the Big Sky Country. She wouldn't regret her time there, how could she when the time there had made her an important part of who she was today? But she did regret one thing, and that was not being here to watch over her beloved Phantom. And now here they were, six years later, and he was no longer strong enough to defeat a younger stallion. This hard realization caused another fresh wave of tears to roll down her cheeks, and a loud sob caught in her throat.

She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until a sudden knock on the door roused her from her slumber. Lifting her head from her pillow, Sam slowly sat up and called weakly, her voice hoarse from crying, "Come in."

The door opened and a tall, handsome figure stepped inside the room. Sam didn't even have to look at the man fully to know exactly who it was. "Hey, Jake," she murmured, laying her head back down on the pillow and turning her back to him. She closed her eyes, and a couple moments passed before she felt the bed sink down under his great weight. She peeked one eye open and saw him stretched out there beside her, his feet dangling off the end of the bed, staring at her with a guarded expression, like always.

Sam groaned and closed her eye. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" came his deep, husky voice.

"Stop looking at me in that way. I can't tell what you're thinking."

"Why do you need to know what I'm thinking?"

"Because you're my fiance and I demand to know."

An amused chuckle sounded. "Try again."

"Because I want to know whether or not you think I'm pathetic for crying over an aged horse."

No response.

Sam sighed. "So I'm right, then? You think I'm pathetic?"

She opened her eyes fully this time and stared at him, wanting desperately to know what he was thinking.

"No, I think you're acting exactly the way a mother acts when she realizes her kid is growing up and she's growing old."

Sam pursed her lips in a frown, thoroughly confused. "That's not the situation at all!"

"In a way, it is," Jake said, gently taking a hold of her hand and drawing small circles on the palm of it with his thumb. "You love the Phantom as genuinely as you would your own kid, and now that he's older you've realized that you're older too, and there's nothing you can do about it...no way you can go back in time and see him as he once was."

Sam sighed and murmured softly, "Okay, maybe you're right. But you still think I'm pathetic, don't you?"

Rolling his eyes, Jake wrapped his long, bear-like arms around her and pulled her close against him. "No Sam, I don't think you're pathetic. Old maybe, but never pathetic."

That earned him a nice, solid whack to the head with her pillow. Letting out a deep, hearty laugh, Jake rolled over, flattening her against the bed with his body, and planted a loud-smacking kiss on her mouth. Sam glared up at him, before slowly spreading her lips into a smile. "Jake Ely, I ought to shoot you."

"Naw," Jake drawled, grinning down at her. "You ought to kiss me."

"Again and again until you tell me to stop?" Sam questioned, wiggling playfully underneath him. His eyes narrowed, and she smirked devilishly.

"Trust me hunny, you won't be hearing the word 'stop' from me anytime soon," he murmured, causing Sam's stomach to erupt with butterflies. Oh, Lord have mercy, she was in trouble. Deep, unfathomable trouble. There was no denying it.

And there was no denying her steady and abounding love for Jake Ely as he kissed her once more, sending her heart reeling into space and far, far beyond normal measure.

* * *

Sam woke up in the middle of the night to the feel of Jake's heavy arm strapped across her chest. Blinking, Sam waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before slowly picking up his arm and moving it off of her. Sitting up, she quietly moved to her closet and got out her coat, slipping it on silently. Once she was done getting ready, she left the room and closed the door as quietly as possible behind her. She snuck down the stairs and when she made it to the kitchen glanced over at the clock. It read four forty am.

Stepping out onto the porch, Sam looked up and gazed for a couple moments at the first colorful specks of dawn painted across the sky. It was still considerably dark out, but light enough to see where her feet were going as she made her way to the barn. She could smell the fresh morning dew in the air, drawing a peaceful smile to her lips.

The moment she opened the barn doors and stepped inside, a chorus of welcoming nickers flooded the vicinity. She went straight to the Phantom's stall, approaching it quietly. What she saw nearly broke her heart. He was standing at the very back of the stall, head up and eyes staring straight out the window at the beautiful vastness that stretched out for miles and miles. Forcing back the tears that were starting to build up, Sam unlocked the stall door and stepped inside, leaving it cracked open behind her.

The sound of Sam's foot steps caused the Phantom to turn his head and stare at her, his ears pricking forward.

"Hey, boy," Sam murmured, reaching out to place her hand lightly on his face. He nickered softly and nudged her arm affectionately with his muzzle. Sniffling, Sam stepped closer and wrapped both of her arms around his neck, resting her head gently against the side of his face. A single tear was released, sliding quickly down her cheek and dropping soundlessly down onto the ground.

"Oh, Blackie, I love you so much." Closing her eyes, Sam squeezed him gently before backing away slightly to gaze straight into his eyes. "But you're not happy here...are you?"

The Phantom didn't make a single sound, only continued to gaze somberly into her eyes. Sam's bottom lip trembled, but she refused to cry. Now was not the right time.

"You're not meant to be in a stall...you never were," Sam whispered, and she smiled slightly. "You're such a special boy, aren't you?"

Sam leaned forward and kissed his nose lovingly. He snorted softly in response, and her heart fluttered with happiness.

Giving him a gentle pat on the neck, Sam checked his injuries one last time. One of his major injuries was still rather tender, the one on his shoulder, but it was nothing that wouldn't be healed in time. Inhaling a long breath and then exhaling it a bit unsteadily, Sam grabbed a handful of his mane and began to lead him quietly out of the stall. He followed beside her willingly, his steps quick and eager.

Once they had made it out of the barn, Sam could feel the Phantom quivering in anticipation as they headed towards the river. For the Phantom it was the path to freedom, but for Sam she felt like her heart was breaking with each step she took. This was truly the hardest walk she had ever endured, and it took all of her strength to continue.

By the time they had reached the river, she was clinging to the Phantom, her fingers clenched tightly in his mane. She stood there with him for several minutes in complete silence, holding onto him for dear life. When at last he gave a soft, impatient snort, she lifted her head and slowly let go of him. "Okay," she whispered, before taking a step back.

Surprisingly, he didn't leap forward immediately like she thought he would. Instead, he turned his head to her, gazing at her with a gentle understanding that both amazed her and calmed her spirit.

"Go now, Zanzibar," Sam whispered to him, accepting his decision to go back to his herd...where he belonged for the rest of his days.

"Go, and be free."

Tossing his head slightly, the Phantom let loose a short, shrill neigh in farewell before bounding forward, splashing gladly into the river. Sam watched him as he went, his silver mane gleaming majestically in the fading light of the moon. The moment his hooves came into contact with the familiar, hard Nevada ground the Phantom leaped forward and bounded across the desert, stirring up a massive cloud of dust. It wasn't long until he was merely a speck of white in the distance...

"Good-bye," Sam breathed, and hung her head.

"You did the right thing, Sam."

Gasping, Sam spun around in surprise and saw Jake standing there behind her, his hands resting snugly in the back pockets of his jeans.

Sam stared at him silently for a moment, before nodding once and stepping into his warm, loving embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head ontop of hers, causing her to sigh softly in contentment.

"What am I going to do when he's finally gone, Jake?" Sam whispered in the early morning silence, fear evident in her tone. "Who am I going to be? The Phantom, he's...he's so much a part of me."

Frowning, Jake lifted her chin with this thumb so that he was gazing at her face. "Now, look here Samantha," he ordered, and her eyes widened. "I honestly thought you were smarter than that."

Sam's eyes narrowed, and before she could open her mouth to snap a fiesty remark at him, he silenced her with a quick, hard kiss on the mouth. Afterwards he admonished, "You are Samantha Anne Forster, and nothing in this world is ever going to change that. True, the Phantom's life holds a great place in yours, but the end of his life won't mark the end of yours. Besides, and don't you dare tell anyone I said this...once he leaves this earth he will still be present in your heart...am I right?"

Sam nodded and murmured firmly, "Of course. It's the missing him that I'm worried about."

"You'll get over it," Jake said matter-of-factly, and kissed her once more before she could growl at him.

"Ugh, you can't keep doing that you know," Sam muttered crossly at him.

"Doing what?"

"Kissing me to avoid my angry remarks," Sam chastised.

Jake grinned smugly and replied, "It's been working pretty well so far."

Sighing, Sam rested her head back on his chest and closed her eyes. "Just promise me one thing," she whispered softly.

Jake tilted his head, his expression curious as he questioned, "What's that?"

A long moment passed before she finally said, "Promise me that you'll always remember the Phantom as he once was...and that when you think of him, you think of his strength and power."

"I don't think I can," Jake murmured softly.

Sam blinked and turned to look up at him, asking in wonder, "Why?"

"Because when I think of the Phantom," Jake said gently, placing one of his hands on her heart, "...I think of you."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that! Leave me a review if you'd like, or if you'd like to yell at me for waiting a whole year to update, that would be okay too, haha. **

**Oh, and by the way, the next chapter is going to leave you with quite a surprise...until next time!**

**~ Warriors Pride**


	14. Chapter 14: The Unexpected Surprise

**Hey guys! So first off, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but for good reason. One, I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter and the less reviews I get the shorter the chapters are going to be (sorry!) And second, well, you'll just have to find out for yourself once you read. :) Hope you like it!**

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen_

"Life is full of surprises."

**Unknown**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Sam freed the Phantom, and since then Sam couldn't stop thinking about him. Worries flooded her mind, controlling her every day life. She wondered to herself whether or not he had made it back to his herd, and if his shoulder had healed properly. And what if that young stallion had returned and challenged him again? Her stress was at an all time high, affecting not only her but everyone around her.

"Sam, are you okay?" Gram asked in concern.

Sam glanced up from peeling some carrots to give her grandmother a questioning glance. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seem so...distracted lately."

"Distracted?" Sam echoed, looking confused. "No, I'm perfectly fine, honest."

"Are you worried about the Phantom?" Gram pressed, blinking at her in understanding. "You can tell me, you know."

Sam shrugged and went back to peeling the carrots, not caring to answer Gram's question. Of course she was worried about the Phantom, but confessing her feelings to Gram wouldn't help the matter, so why waste her breath?

Soon dinner was ready, and everyone started to take their seats around the table. Sam took her place beside Jake, as well as her father, who sat at one end of the table. Brynna sat at the other side beside her husband, with their son Shiloh beside her. Gram, the last one to take a place, sat at the other end of the table. The cowhands, Sam guessed, had all gone into town for a bite after a long day of work.

"Well, this looks absolutely delicious," Brynna commented, gazing down at the Shepherd's Pie appreciatively.

"Yeah," Shiloh agreed, grinning. "Sherpherd's Pie is my favorite!"

After saying prayer, the family began to dig in. San picked up her fork and took a couple bites, not really listening to the conversation that had already picked up. Instead, her thoughts drifted to the Phantom, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

_I miss you, my Zanzibar_, she thought silently to herself, absently tossing some food around her plate.

Suddenly, her stomach twisted with nausea. Grimacing, Sam pushed back from the table and placed her hand over her stomach.

Jake glanced over at her and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I think I..." Trailing off, Sam let out a groan and slapped her other hand over her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Leaping up from her chair, Sam fled the kitchen and bounded up the stairs to her bathroom. The moment she made it there she fell to the floor and threw her head over the toilet.

A few minutes passed and she could finally breathe again. Groaning softly, she scooted backwards so that she was leaning against the wall. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she closed her eyes and wondered in dismay why she had just thrown up when she rarely ever got sick...had it been something in the Shepherd's Pie, maybe?

_No_, Sam thought, _I've had Gram's Sherpherd's Pie countless of times...it couldn't be that._

Then what else could it be? Sam bit down softly on her bottom lip, and then glanced up in surprise when Jake appeared in the doorway.

His dark, mustang eyes gleamed with concern as he stared down at his fiance. Not saying a word, he took a seat beside her on the cold bathroom floor and draped his left arm over her shoulder.

Lost in thought, Sam rested her head against his chest and the silence continued.

A minute passed, and suddenly she sat straight up, causing Jake to glance over at her in alarm.

"Sam?"

"Oh my God."

"Sam."

"Oh...oh, my God."

Jake started to look annoyed. "Sam, what the hell is going on?"

Sam stood up and began to pace. _This can't be happening_, she thought, feeling her heart begin to race. _There has to be some other reason_. There just had to be. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribcage that she feared in any moment it would burst.

She had missed her period, Sam remembered now. She was supposed to have started it over a week ago. At the time she hadn't thought much of it, thinking that she had just miscalculated. The next few days she had forgotten about it completely, and now here she was a week later, still late.

Very, very late.

"I can't believe this," Sam murmured, and finally lifted her head to gaze into Jake's deep, troubled eyes.

"Jake," Sam said slowly, trying to calm her frantic heart. "I think you need to drive me to the store."

Jake blinked at her in confusion, not yet comprehending the seriousness of the situation. "And why is that?"

"Because I think I need..." Sam stopped, her mouth quivering. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and then let it all out.

"I think I need a pregnancy test."

* * *

**And there you go! Short, but to the point. If I get enough reviews for this one I promise to make the next chapter much longer. :)**

**So please let me know what you think! Were you expecting this? Yes, no, maybe so? **

**More awesomeness on the way...**

**~Warriors Pride (AKA Mystic)**


	15. Chapter 15: A Truth Revealed

**Alright, so by the reviews I've read some of ya'll are confused that Sam might be pregnant due to the fact that I haven't directly written a scene of Sam and Jake and the "birds and the bees", haha. To answer your question, yes, they have done it since Sam returned, I just didn't write it because my story isn't rated mature, it is rated T for teen. So I figured it would have been a bit inappropriate for some of my readers... anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I really do appreciate it whenever someone takes the time to review, it means a lot. Now, here is chapter fifteen. As promised, it's much longer. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen_

"The struggles I'm facing, the chances I'm taking, sometimes might knock me down but no, I'm not breaking. I may not know it, but these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most."

**- Miley Cyrus**

* * *

"Jake, I think you should slow down…"

Sam sat shot gun in Jake's truck, her one hand attached to the edge of her seat and the other gripping the door handle as if her life depended on it. She glanced out the window and watched as the world whizzed on by, wondering if asking Jake to drive was such a good idea after all.

The moment Sam had told Jake that she might be pregnant, she felt scared. Not for herself however, but for Jake's health. All color had drained from his face, and his gaze had never left hers. In fact, he stared at her for so long that Sam seriously considered whether or not she should slap him, just to snap him out of it. But before she could he had grabbed her arm in a stone-iron grip and hustled them both downstairs, through the kitchen, and out the front door.

And now here they were, fifteen minutes later, and Jake hadn't said a single word.

Sam desperately wanted to ask him if he was okay, but she knew Jake well enough that he rarely answered a question when he was in deep thought. And by the hard, gave expression on his face Sam knew that now was no time for questions, or any kind of verbal communication for that matter.

So Sam tried something a little different. Reaching out, she laid her hand on Jake's leg, comforting him in the only way she knew how at the moment. Jake's leg jerked just slightly, and then went still. Sam turned her head away and bit her lip, refusing to move her hand.

Barely a minute passed when Sam felt Jake's hand fall on top of hers, only to grip it tightly.

The truck slowed down, and they continued to ride the rest of the way to the store in silence.

* * *

Sam stared in exasperation at the thirty different types of pregnancy tests that were displayed before her in the baby aisle.

Okay, so maybe there weren't _thirty _different types, but it sure as hell looked like it. How on this earth was she supposed to pick one, and which one exactly was the best one to pick? Sam felt her head start to spin as she tried to decide on which test to purchase. No wonder Jake had wanted to wait outside, she thought with a soft groan.

Finally, after five whole minutes of standing around like an idiot, Sam chose one at random and headed towards the cashier. Luckily the line was short and she didn't have to wait long.

When it was her turn, Sam awkwardly gave the cashier her item. The plump, middle-aged woman with short brown hair smiled at her sweetly and ran it, but not before saying, "Well, well, look at you! Think you might be expectin', hun?"

_Oh, God, _Sam thought, feeling her cheeks start to burn with heat. _This is so embarrassing!_

"Erm…maybe," Sam muttered, gazing off in the distance.

"That'll be five ninety-nine," the cashier remarked cheerfully.

Sam quickly handed her the cash and grabbed the test, shoving it in her purse. "Keep the change," she said, and dashed towards the door.

"Best of luck to you, darlin'!" the woman called out after her, but Sam was already gone.

* * *

"Got it," Sam said breathlessly, hopping into the truck and slamming the door.

On the way back to the house, the two continued to sit in heavy silence. Sam was beginning to think that she might go mad. Why wouldn't he speak? It was driving her crazy! More than anything she wanted to know what was going through his mind, but she had a strange feeling that she wouldn't know what he was thinking until after she had taken the pregnancy test.

It was absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time it was so _Jake. _

Once they had made it back to the house, Sam felt her heart start to race once again. Jake parked the truck, took the keys out of the ignition, and then turned to face her.

His expression was grim as he said in a calm, adamant manner, "Don't let anyone know what's going on until we know about this for sure, all right?"

Sam nodded and murmured, "Okay."

Stepping out of the truck, they both headed to the house. Sam grabbed Jake's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He squeezed it back, and she smiled slowly.

The second they walked into the house Wyatt, Gram, and Brynna glanced up from the table to stare at them with identical looks of puzzlement on all of their faces.

"What's going on?" Wyatt demanded at once.

"Nothing Dad," Sam said quickly, sharing a look with Jake. "We just wanted time alone together for a while, that's all."

"But you left so abruptly," Gram stated, looking quite befuddled.

"Is everything okay?" Brynna asked, gazing at the couple in concern.

"Yeah," Jake said all of a sudden, and rather loudly to be exact. All heads turned to look at him in astonishment as he added, "Sam and I are going upstairs. We'll be back down in a few. We'd appreciate it if ya'll stay down here."

And with that said, Jake took Sam's hand and led them upstairs.

* * *

"How many minutes are we supposed to wait again?" Sam asked.

Jake stared back at her blankly from inside the bedroom, and she sighed. "Never mind, forget I even asked."

Turning around, Sam walked back into her bathroom and picked up the box, reading the directions for about the tenth time.

Five minutes. They were supposed to wait five minutes. It had only been two since she had peed on the stick. She felt like she had already been waiting an hour. Groaning inwardly, Sam lowered her head and stared hard at the stick for about five seconds, before thinking to herself, _Idiot! Staring it down isn't going to make time go faster. _

Another minute passed and Sam wanted to scream. Pacing back and forth in her bedroom, she glanced curiously over at Jake and noticed that he was standing in front of her window, staring out at the horses frolicking in the pastures.

Sam called softly to him. "Jake?"

He blinked, but didn't move. Sighing, Sam turned away and walked back into the bathroom. Just two more minutes, she thought. Two more minutes and she would know whether or not her life was about to drastically change. She closed her eyes and forced herself to remain calm.

_Everything is going to be okay, _she assured herself. _I might not be pregnant. This could just be a false alarm. No use freaking out…yet._

Out of the corner of her eye Sam saw Jake move, and she knew then that it was time. Sucking in a deep breath to settle her nerves, she picked up the stick that was lying forebodingly beside the sink and forced herself to look.

A second later, she dropped it.

Jake was beside her in an instant. He glanced down at the floor from where she had dropped it and then looked back up at her, his eyes wide and dark.

"What? What does it mean?" he demanded, grabbing both of her arms with his hands and giving her whole body a gentle shake.

"It-it means…" Sam gazed into his beautiful mustang eyes and said softly, "we're going to have a baby."

Jake blinked, looking absolutely stunned. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again.

Right when Sam thought he was about to say something, her bedroom door swung open and Brynna came bounding in, saying frantically, "Sam! Jake! Come quick!"

Snapping out of her trance, Sam shook her head and stepped out of the bathroom. "What's wrong?" she asked Brynna. Jake stood like a statue behind her in complete and utter shock.

"It's Kismet," Brynna cried, "She's having her foal!"

* * *

**And there ya go! That's all I have for you tonight. But I promise I will update with the next chapter as soon as possible. Please review with your thoughts! :)**


	16. Chapter 16: Phantom's Black Knight

**Hey folks! Here is the sixteenth chapter. Woohoo! I hope you guys really enjoy this, because I worked on it during the hours that I should've been studying, haha. It's also a bit more lengthy, which I'm sure you will appreciate. So, what are you waiting for? Go read!**

* * *

_Chapter Sixteen_

"In love there are two things - bodies and words."

**Joyce Carol Oates**

* * *

Sam didn't remember running.

All she could recall was that one moment she was standing in her bedroom beside Jake freaking out over their new discovery, and in the next she was standing beside Kismet in the stall, murmuring soothing words near the mare's ear in an attempt to calm her down.

"Hey girl, everything's going to be okay, all right? Your baby is ready now. You can do this…I know you can."

Kismet snorted softly, her breathing short and labored. Sam patted the mare's shoulder in a gentle, reassuring manner, continuing to soothe her in a low, pleasant tone.

"I'm going to go outside now, okay Kismet? Don't worry, I'll be right outside the stall if anything goes wrong. Be strong, pretty girl."

Giving her a quick kiss on the head, Sam left the stall and went to stand beside Wyatt, Brynna, and Jake, watching silently in awe as the birthing process began.

Over the years Sam had been given the extraordinary opportunity to witness many mares give birth, but never had she ever felt so excited. The main reason was, of course, that this would be another one of the Phantom's foals, so already it had claimed a special place in her heart.

Sam could barely wait to see what it looked like; deep down she was hoping that it would be a colt and that he would take after his father, but she knew not to raise her hopes too high. She didn't want to be disappointed. Besides, no matter what kind of foal it was Sam knew she would love it with all her heart, and to the ends of the earth.

"Sam, look!"

Sam instantly snapped out of her thoughts after hearing Wyatt's sudden exclamation. A gasp escaped her throat when she saw two front hooves start to peek out. Kismet let out a loud, heavy groan and gave another push. Inch by inch the two front legs appeared, followed by the nose and head.

Sam sighed in relief. "Look, there's his head! The foaling is going normally," she remarked, flashing them an elated grin. _Please, let this continue to go smoothly, with no complications, _she thought to herself, clenching her hands in a tight fist as she continued to watch.

A couple more minutes passed and the foal was almost completely out. Sam didn't even realize she was holding her breath until Brynna touched her arm gently with her hand.

"Remember to breathe, Sam," she murmured, although there was something in Brynna's eyes that told Sam she knew exactly how she was feeling.

At last Kismet gave one hard final push and the back legs of the foal slid out, marking the end of the birth. Sam chose this exact moment to release a long, liberating sigh.

"She did it," Sam breathed, small tears of joy building up in the back of her eyes. She was amazed at how well the birthing process had turned out, given the horrible state Kismet had been in during her pregnancy. But Sam didn't dare question it – she was too happy at the moment to think about all the possible ways it could have gone differently.

Sam stepped closer to get a better look, and her eyes widened at what she saw. She couldn't believe it! The foal was completely black, just as her precious Zanzibar had once been. Sam was stunned. There was not one speck of color on its body, of that she was absolutely certain.

"Well, one thing is for sure," Wyatt stated, glancing over at Sam, "That there is definitely The Phantom's foal."

"Do you think it's a filly or colt?" Brynna wondered out loud, narrowing her eyes.

"Colt," Sam said automatically, smiling to herself.

Jake snorted from beside her. "How do you know? It hasn't stood up yet."

Sam shrugged, still smiling. "I just know. Just you wait and see, Jake Ely."

And so they waited…for ten whole minutes, until finally the foal lifted its head, let loose a spirited whinny, and began pulling itself up.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She grabbed Jake's hand and squeezed tightly, not noticing him grimace in slight pain as he watched from beside her.

It took the foal a couple attempts, but with a little bit of Kismet's help, the foal was up and on its feet in less than two minutes.

"Who's gonna look?" Wyatt asked, flicking a knowing glance over at Sam.

Immediately releasing Jake's hand, much to his relief, Sam entered the stall and approached the foal slowly, lowering her stance so as to not frighten it. Kismet remained lying down in the straw next to her foal, completely at ease with Sam's presence.

"Hey there little one," Sam murmured, and watched as the foal turned its head to her and pricked its ears in surprise.

It stared at her for quite a few moments, nickered and then bobbed its head twice, welcoming her presence. Smiling, Sam closed the distance between them and laid her hand on his side, petting the foal for the very first time. She was amazed at how smooth and silky it felt. It was like angels hair.

After a couple moments Sam snuck a peek underneath, before lifting her head and smirking triumphantly.

"It's a colt!" she called over to them, and then threw her head back and laughed with delight.

"Well I'll be," Wyatt replied in amazement, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Isn't that something," Brynna remarked, smiling pleasantly as she gazed at the newborn colt. "He's a beauty."

Jake stepped into the stall and kneeled down beside Sam, reaching out to touch him. The colt snorted softly and tossed his head, before pushing his soft, furry nose against the palm of Jake's hand. He glanced over at Sam and asked, "What are you going to name him?"

Surprisingly, Sam didn't have to ponder it for very long. Just by looking at him she knew exactly what she wanted to name The Phantom's colt.

"Knight," Sam announced in a loud, audible voice so that all would hear. She placed her hand on the colt's forehead and gazed steadily into his warm, chocolate brown eyes. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she smiled.

"_Black_ Knight."

Jake raised his eyebrow at her. "You do know that he'll probably grow up lookin' silver like The Phantom, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Sam murmured, glancing over at him. "But I thought it would be nice for him to carry on a part of his father's name. Besides, we'll mainly be calling him Knight, anyway."

"I like it," Brynna stated, followed by a grunt of agreement from Wyatt.

"We should have them rest for a while," Jake suggested to Sam, and she let out a sigh, knowing that he was right.

"Okay. But we should come back later to check on him," Sam replied, glancing over at Knight once more.

Kismet had stood up and he was now suckling greedily by her side, his tail whisking back and forth. Sam's breath caught in her throat. _He looks so much like when Blackie was a colt…oh, if only The Phantom was here now to see him. I wonder…will he ever get the chance to meet him? _Sam's eyes gleamed wistfully as these thoughts passed through her mind.

"Sam?"

Sam blinked and glanced over at Jake to see him staring at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and quiet, clearly meaning for only her to hear.

"Yes," Sam replied, shaking her head slightly and standing up from her kneeling position. "I'm fine. Let's go."

She flicked one last glance over at Knight before stepping out of the stall, Jake following close behind her.

When Sam turned to lock the door, Jake learned close and murmured next to her ear, "We need to talk…now."

Sam blinked at her fiancé in confusion, wondering what he possibly wanted to talk with her about, and then all of a sudden the previous hour came rushing back to her like a flash. Her stomach erupted with butterflies, and one single thought crossed her mind.

_Oh God, I'm pregnant._

She had totally forgotten about this fact during Knight's birth, but now that it was over all of the worry and anxiety that had developed beforehand returned, and once more she felt at a loss of what to do, and most importantly, what to say.

"Sam," Jake murmured, a trace of anxiety clinging to his tone as he waited for her response.

"Okay," Sam whispered, glancing up at him, "But we need to get rid of Brynna and my Dad."

"I can do it," Jake replied, and with that said he walked over towards the couple who were talking quietly amongst themselves near Ace's stall.

Sam continued to stand where she was, not listening to Jake as he began to speak casually to her parents. Instead, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, breathing in and out, in and out…obviously doing her best not to freak out over the whole situation.

When she heard Jake walking back she opened her eyes and glanced around, relieved to find that both Brynna and Wyatt were gone.

"Sam, you look like you're about to faint," Jake said in concern, stepping forward to rest both his hands on her arms. "Relax, you're going to be fine. _We _are going to be fine."

Opening her eyes, she stared straight into his piercing gaze, saw deep abiding love reflected there, and nearly melted onto the barn floor right then and there.

"Oh Jake," Sam whispered in a small, fragile voice, and tears started to spill down her cheeks before she could stop them from falling. "I'm so scared…"

"I know," Jake murmured. Stepping forward, he wrapped his long arms around her and pulled her body close against his, enveloping her completely in his warm, comforting embrace.

"We can do this," he murmured in a deep, confident voice right next to her ear, "And I promise you, I will _never _leave your side. No matter what happens."

Sam laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart, steady and sure as a beating drum. _How can he be so calm about this? _She wondered to herself, a bit perplexed.

After about a minute she lifted her head and asked him tentatively, "Are you…okay with this?"

Jake held her gaze for a moment, before leaning down to plant a firm, passionate kiss on her soft lips. The kiss went on for what seemed like days, and for just that moment the two drifted off into a whole different world. A brand new universe, all their own.

Sam's heart pounded away, but she barely noticed. She was too preoccupied with Jake's mouth as his lips paraded hers, paralyzing her right where she stood.

When it ended, Jake lifted his head and brushed her tears away with his thumb. "Does that answer your question?" he uttered in a low, husky voice.

Sam pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side, thinking for a moment or two before saying teasingly, "No, I think I need just a little more convincing..three more kisses might do the trick."

Jake grinned and gazed down at her slyly. "Brat."

Sam gasped and immediately socked him one on the arm. "Jake Ely, you take that back!"

He chuckled. "On one condition," he replied, stepping back and crossing his arms.

"What?" Sam questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He waited a beat, fixing her with a firm stare, before saying, "Promise we keep this a secret between us…for now. "

"Are you insane?' Sam exclaimed. "How on earth will I be able to keep this a secret? Gram and Brynna are bound to realize what's happening sooner rather than later. They both are mothers, they know the signs."

Jake shook his head. "Just for now," he said, "Until we get married."

Sam sighed and reached out to take his hand. "Jake, we haven't even set a date yet. Most engaged couples don't get married until about a year or so-"

"We're not most engaged couples Sam," Jake pointed out, "In case the fact may have slipped your mind…_we are having a baby."_

There was a loud gasp from behind them, and then a deafening _bang. _

Jake and Sam whipped around. There, standing near the door, was Esmeralda, with an expression on her face so fierce it made Sam almost want to turn around and flee.

"You're _what?" _Ezzy demanded.

_Well hell, _Sam thought with a cold, sickening dread. _What a way to burst the bubble._

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Uh oh, Ezzy knows their secret! What's gonna happen? **

**Well, for those who review I will message you a short little sneak peek of the next chapter. But ONLY if you review with your thoughts and/or opinions, not just "Update please!" Haha, you know what I'm talking about. :)**

**Also, I've decided to change the name of the story. So if you have the time, please check out my profile and take my poll on which title would be best for it. **

**Thanks ya'll! I hope you liked this chapter. Till next time...**

**~BekahLoves**

**P.S.: I know, I know, I've changed my username like a million times, but this time I'm stickin' to it! **


	17. Chapter 17: Esmeralda's Confession

**Hey guys! As you can probably tell, I'm very adamant in finishing this story. Just to give you a heads up, it will probably end up being twenty chapters - which means there are only four chapters to go, including this one. **_**Unless **_**you guys really want me to continue. If that turns out to be the case, then you'll have to help me out with thinking up some new ideas and plot twists for the story. It's up to you! Either that or I might decide to make a sequel. Who knows? Anyways, before I get ahead of myself…onto the next chapter!**

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen_

"Of all pains, the greatest pain,

Is to love, and love in vain."

**George Granville**

* * *

"Jake, please tell me you did _not _just say what I thought you said," Esmeralda spat, her deep green eyes gleaming fiercely. She placed both of her hands on her hips and glared sharply at them.

Jake frowned, taking a step forward. "Ezzy, we need to talk."

"We're talking now," she snapped. "What the hell is going on between you two?"

"We're together now," Jake remarked, eyeing Ezzy cautiously. "Officially," he added.

"Wait," Ezzy said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "Are you telling me…you're _engaged _to her?"

"That's right," Jake replied, tilting his cowboy hat a bit higher on his head so that his gaze was more visible. His eyes softened as he murmured, "Look, I'm sor-"

"Don't you _dare _say it," Ezzy warned him, anger clearly evident in her tone. "Don't you _dare _say you're sorry," she nearly growled, clenching her hands into tight punching balls.

Sam coughed, attempting to alert them once more to her presence. Unfortunately, neither of them cared to remember that she was still there.

"Ezzy, listen-" Jake started, but was cut off shortly.

"No, you bastard, _you _listen!" Ezzy exclaimed, standing close enough to him now that he could catch a whiff of her jasmine perfume. Tilting her head, she looked Jake dead in the eye and said passionately, "I love you, Jake Ely. Hell, I've loved you for _years_. You're the only guy that has ever managed to steal my heart, and damn it, that's saying something. In the beginning I hated that you were pining over Sam…to think that a girl would ever leave a guy like you was unimaginable. I was determined to help you get over her, and after a couple of years I thought I had…but that wasn't what I wanted the most. More than anything, I wanted you to fall in love with me, like I fell in love with you."

Sam's breath caught in her throat. _Oh my God…_she thought, completely stunned by Esmeralda's profound declaration. She hadn't realized just how much Ezzy truly cared about Jake…how much he actually meant to her, until now.

Even though she had disliked Ezzy from the very start for obvious reasons, Sam hated to see any person in pain. And this woman standing before her was without a doubt in a great amount of pain.

Sam glanced over at Jake's face to catch his expression, but his face was like a mask, concealing every emotion, every thought inside his head. Sam didn't know how he did it, but Jake was a master at keeping his feelings in check. It was one of the many things she admired about him.

"When Sam came back," Ezzy continued, glancing over at Sam in resentment, "I knew that everything would change. She ruined the plan that I had for us. She ruined _everything. _Whenever I came to visit you, you were acting all strange and…and different. And then I knew…I knew you still loved her." At her last remark, pain shone undeniably in her eyes.

"Ezzy, I never meant to hurt you," Jake murmured, and hesitantly reached out to take her arm.

She stepped back quickly, continuing to glare at him. "Don't touch me."

Jake's expression turned unexpectedly hard. Lifting his head, he stared at Esmeralda intently for a long moment, rehearsing his words carefully in his mind. He then stated firmly, "Ezzy, I love you, just not in the way that you want. I can never love you in that way. My heart has always been with Sam…and it always will be."

Tears had begun to roll down Ezzy's cheeks, much to Sam's utter dismay. Biting down softly on her bottom lip, she forced herself to remain quiet, not wanting to interfere with, what _should _have been, a private conversation.

In a much gentler tone Jake said, "I'll always be a friend to you, Ezzy. I promise."

Ezzy shook her head and began to turn away. "Don't bother. And don't even bother calling me. I have nothing more to say to you."

Jake let her go, watching in silence as she left the barn, the doors slamming loudly behind her. He stood still for a long moment, staring directly ahead with his lips pursed in a firm line. It didn't take Sam long to realize that he was grieving.

Grieving the loss of a good, close friend.

_I'm sorry, _Sam wanted so desperately to say, but deep down she knew that now was not the time for words. Now was the time for comfort.

Blinking softly at him, Sam wrapped her arms around her fiancé and laid her head on his chest. Almost immediately Jake wrapped his long, sturdy arms around her waist and drew her closer.

Sam didn't have to tell Jake that she was there for him, because by the way he rested his head on top of hers and whispered, _"I love you," _in the easy silence that filled the barn, she realized something...

He already knew.

* * *

Sam paced back and forth in her bedroom, clutching her cell phone in her hand. Wild thoughts were running rampant inside her mind, and once or twice she wondered to herself whether her brain was about to explode. She doubted that was even possible, but then again she doubted a long time ago that she would ever get pregnant at this age, and guess what had happened?

She had gotten pregnant.

Sam was seriously beginning to question the nature of her life. The last six years had gone rather well and as planned, but ever since Sam returned to the ranch her life had taken a huge, drastic turn.

She was pretty certain that nothing was ever going to be the same.

_I should really call Jen, _Sam thought for about the tenth millionth time, casting yet another glance down at her phone. _She would want to know about this. _

For some odd reason, however, something was pulling her back from doing so.

_She's your best friend, _Sam reminded herself, _and she'd kill you if you didn't tell her. Don't be so chicken-hearted._

And so, after finally gathering up an inkling of courage, Sam dialed Jen's number and waited with bated breath for the line to pick up.

It rang once, twice, three times, and then – "Hello?"

"H-Hi Jen," Sam stuttered, mentally cursing herself for sounding so odd. "How are you?"

"Hi Sam! I'm doing great. Are you okay?"

"Er, I'm fine. I was wondering…are you busy tonight?"

"No, I don't have anything planned. What's up?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could hang out and…talk." Sam gripped the phone tighter in her hand.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Jen voiced happily. "What time should I come over?"

"After dinner?" Sam suggested, "Like around eight?"

"Okay! I'll see you then."

"Great."

Sam hung up and then bit down hard on her bottom lip. Glancing over at her bed, she noticed Cougar lying stretched out on top of her pillow, staring at her. She blinked at him, and then sighed.

"Oh, Cougar," she softly murmured, sitting down on her bed so that she could affectionately scratch behind his ears. He started to purr, the loud noise resonating throughout the room.

After a few minutes she bent down and buried her head in his fur, reveling in his sweet companionship. "I don't know what to do anymore, Cougar," she whispered, blinking back tears. "I just don't know what to do. I'm so scared. I don't think I'm ready for this…for _any _of this."

But it was coming, whether she was prepared for it or not.

In a little over eight month's time, Sam Forster was going to be a mother.

This thought was shocking, but rather amazing to her nonetheless. She was only twenty-three, and yet here she was about to face life's toughest challenges..._motherhood. _

She just wasn't ready, at least that was what the voice inside her mind was telling her. But then again, she hadn't been ready to let go of the Phantom, and she had done that. _You're stronger than you know, _she thought, and a troubled sigh escaped her lips.

"Sam!" Brynna called her name from down the stairs. "Time for dinner!"

Standing up from her bed, Sam glanced over at herself in the mirror and grimaced after noticing how distressed she looked. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, Sam wiped away the dampness underneath her eyes until her skin was completely dry. Sucking in a deep breath, she gazed at herself steadily in the mirror and thought firmly to herself,_ I am Samantha Anne Forster, and I am strong. I refuse to let life drag me down...not now, not ever._

With a smile and nod, Sam headed downstairs for dinner.

* * *

**And that's a wrap for this chapter! Please review, not only does it make me happy, but it influences me to update faster! **

**So if you'd like a fast update, (and I know you do) please review! **

**Messages are also welcome as well, I love chatting with my readers! :)**

**~BekahLoves**


	18. Chapter 18: Samantha's Idea

**Thank you so much for all the reviews, it truly made me happy to see so many people who still want me to continue this story. I can't believe I've reached 200 reviews! Wow! You guys rock. :) Sorry it took so long for me to update, school is slowly killing me. But no worries! Here is your update.**

* * *

_Chapter Eighteen_

"The key to change...is to let go of fear."

**Rosanne Cash**

* * *

"Earth to Sam? Hello?"

Sam blinked, glancing over at Jen who was sitting cross-legged across from her on the bed. She was staring at her, an eyebrow quizzically raised.

"I was telling you about the flowers for my wedding," Jen said.

"Oh, right," Sam replied, shaking her head a little before adding uncertainly, "Tulips?"

"No," Jen sighed in exasperation, "I want lilies. Honestly Sam, are you even listening?"

"I'm sorry," Sam stated with a pained expression, "I'm not really myself right now."

"Well that's obvious," Jen said matter-of-factly, before reaching out to touch Sam's hand. "What is it? You can tell me."

"I know, which is why I asked you to come over, so I could tell you…" Sam trailed off, bit down on her bottom lip, and glanced down at her lap.

_Come on, you can do this. Just say it. It's not that hard. She's your best friend…_

Gathering just the right amount of courage, Sam glanced up at Jen's face and murmured quietly, "So I could tell you that I'm pregnant."

Immediately, Jen gasped. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening behind her glasses as she stared at Sam in shock. "You're _pregnant? _Really? Are you…are you _sure?_"

Sam nodded, her throat dry. "I'm sure. I took a pregnancy test…a couple, actually."

A brief moment passed. "Wow," Jen remarked, blinking rapidly. "Is it Jake's?"

Sam nodded again and murmured, "Of course. I've never…I've never _been _with anyone else, if you know what I mean."

Jen's eyes softened considerably. "Oh, Sam…you two truly are meant for each other."

Sam smiled slightly. "I just wish we had taken better precaution. There is no way that I am ready for all this. I thought that I'd be married to Jake for at least two years before even thinking about having a child. And now I'm pregnant and we're not even married yet."

Jen smiled gently in understanding. "I know, but life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to, Sam. Plans change, for better or for worse. There's absolutely nothing we can do about it except learn to live with it…but that's the beautiful thing, Sam. We're humans – we can adapt to almost anything. We're capable of so much, and as one of your best friends I _know _you are capable of having this child…and becoming a _great _mother."

"Oh, Jen," Sam leaned over and wrapped her in a warm hug. "Thank you. You always know exactly what to say."

Jen patted Sam on the back and said, "I'm here for you, no matter what. Now, tell me this." She drew back and stared at Sam squarely in the face. Her tone was serious as she asked, "Does Jake know?"

"He was the first to find out," Sam replied, and then nearly kicked herself upside the head. Great, now Jen would ask who else knew, and she really didn't feel like going into the Ezzy drama at the moment. Ezzy was the _last _person Sam wanted to talk about…

Needless to say, Jen was too smart to miss anything. "Wait, am I one of the last to know?" she questioned, looking a little hurt.

"No!" Sam exclaimed, vigorously shaking her head, "Quite the contrary, actually. You and Jake are the only ones that know…including, um, Ezzy."

Jen's mouth dropped open. She held out her hand and said, "Whoa, hold on a second. Are you telling me that Jake told _Esmeralda _that you're expecting his _baby_? What on earth was he thinking?"

"He didn't," Sam explained, "Ezzy overheard Jake and me talking in the barn. It…didn't go so well."

"Well of course it didn't," Jen said, smirking a bit. "Ezzy is totally into him."

"She's not just _into _him," Sam muttered, and then let out a sigh. "She's in love with him and apparently has been for years."

"Oh, wow. She _said _that?"

"And much more…you would have found it quite entertaining, I'm sure."

Jen chuckled and said, "You bet. Don't waste your time feeling sorry for her, trust me, you don't know her like I do. She's the most manipulative person I've ever met."

"Even worse than Rachel?"

Jen grimaced. "Yes, _much _worse."

"What ever happened to her, anyway?" Sam asked curiously. She hadn't thought about Rachel Slocum in _years. _It was funny to even think about her now. It felt like it had been a century since she had last spoken to her, let alone seen her. Sam wondered whether she was still the same old rich, snobby "witch" she's always been.

"Moved to New York about a year after high school," Jen said, snorting. "Wanted a job in fashion. I knew she wouldn't stick around here for long. She was too superficial for small town life."

Sam grunted softly in agreement. "Well, good riddance to her, I say. I wouldn't want my baby growing up around her, anyway."

Jen beamed a huge smile. "You're stickin' around, then?'

Sam blinked at her best friend in bewilderment. "Well, of course I am. This is my home - and Jake's too. I wouldn't want to raise my kid anywhere else."

"Good," Jen said, continuing to grin, "Because then we can raise our babies together. Who knows, maybe they'll grow to become best friends like us?"

Sam smiled warmly and said, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

Once Jen had left, Sam strolled down to the barn to check up on the Phantom's new foal. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders after spilling the truth to Jen, but due to the fact that most of her family had yet to discover the truth, she was a tad bit anxious. What if everyone found out before she decided to tell them?

Sam shuddered inwardly at the thought. She could only hope and pray that Ezzy would keep her mouth _shut_.

The moment Sam entered the barn she breathed in the wonderful essence it bestowed and almost immediately all anxiety fled from her body. Walking up to Kismet's stall, she smiled the second she caught sight of the newborn colt standing proudly beside his mother, looking as handsome as could be.

Sam whistled softly to catch his attention. He whipped his head around, ears sternly pricked forward, and nickered a gentle greeting. Kismet, who had been munching peacefully on a pile of hay, lifted her head to gaze at Sam.

"Hey there, pretty girl. I see you're taking good care of your baby…he's a beauty, just like you," Sam cooed.

Kismet snorted, and then went back to eating her hay. Knight nickered once more and took another step towards Sam, staring at her curiously.

Sam stood very still behind the stall door, waiting to see if he would come to her. It wasn't long until the black colt had ventured all the way across the stall to stand in front of Sam. With her soft gaze locked on his face, Sam slowly lifted the palm of her hand and allowed it to hover inches away from his nose.

A second passed, and then another. And then, all of a sudden, Knight's forehead touched the palm of her hand and Sam was rendered speechless. Tears formed in her eyes, and for the longest moment Sam was overwhelmed with emotion. _He knows, _Sam thought in complete awe. _He knows how much I love him._

Smiling, Sam leaned forward and kissed his nose. "You're right," she whispered to him, "I _do _love you. And I love your Papa too, with all of my heart. He's a great stallion you know…and the best leader his herd has ever seen. But he's very old…" Sam trailed off, and then tilted her head to look at him. "But you, you are very young…and soon, you'll be as strong as he once was; perhaps even stronger."

And then all of a sudden it hit her…an idea.

What if _Knight became_ the next leader of The Phantom's herd?

* * *

**I would write a longer chapter, but I have a busy week ahead of me and unfortunately I need to start studying. Duty calls! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave me a review to tell me what you think! I would appreciate that very much. :)**


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